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There was an old man called Brother John because he was very religious and always prayed. |
Ci stave nu viecchie c'onne chiamave Frà Giuvanne picchè sempre prigave.
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The people used to say that he was very rich and that he kept his money in a box hidden under his bed. |
La iente diceve ca ere tante ricche e ca tineve li solde dentre a na cascette annascuoste sotte a lu liette. |
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| One day, a man who wanted to steal all his money climbed on top of the roof and from inside the chimney began to say: |
Nu iuorre, n'ome chi i vuleva arrubbà li solde, sagliette sobbre a lu titte e da dentre la ciumminere cumenzette a dice: |
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Come up, come up Brother John
That in Heaven Jesus wants you
Send up first the box
And then you come up. |
Saglie, saglie Fra' Giuvanne
Ca a lu ciele ti vò Gesù
Saglie prime la cascette
E doppe saglie tu. |
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| The old man, hearing this call from inside the chimney, really thought that it was Jesus himself calling him because his time had come, and asked if he could rise to heaven without confessing himself and without receiving communion. |
Lu viecchie, sintenneze chiamà da dentre a la ciumminere, pinzette addavere ca ere Gesù chi lu chiamave picchè era arriviete l'ora sé e addummannette si puteve saglie nciele senza cumpissàreze né cummunicàreze. |
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| The man, from the rooftop, answered that since he had been always so devout, there was no need for him to go to confession, it was enough for him to bring the box with him, and repeated to him: |
L'ome, da sobbra a lu titte, i'arispunnette ca siccome era state sempre accuscì divote, n'aveve bisuogne di cumpissareze, abbastave chi zi purtasse nchi isse la cascette e iaripitette: |
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Come up, come up Brother John
That in Heaven Jesus wants you
Send up first the box
And then you come up. |
Saglie, saglie Fra' Giuvanne
Ca a lu ciele ti vò Gesù
Saglie prime la cascette
E doppe saglie tu. |
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| Brother John was convinced: he went to get the box, put a chair under the chimney opening, and passed the box into the chimney. |
Frà Giuvanne zi cummincette: iette a pigliè la cascette, mittette na segge sotte a la ciumminere, ci sagliette sobbre e facette passà la cascette dentre a la ciumminere. |
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| Thus, the man who was on the rooftop took the box with all the money. |
Accuscì l'ome chi stave sobbre a lu titte zi pigliette la cascette nchi tutte li solde. |
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| Still today, when people talk of Brother John's Box (Cascette di Fra' Giuvanne), they refer to a container, the exterior of which leaves much to be desired, but the content of which contains pleasant surprises. |
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