Matteo’s Wasps’ Nest

Pier Paolo Pasolini was one of the greatest men Italy had in the 20th century. I cannot describe him here well enough, so read the Wikipedia page about him.

The following is a Pasolini’s composition about Italy. He criticizes with heavy words the way things go on in this country. In the end, he even asks Italy to sink in its beatiful sea, so that the world will be free from this bad country.

I’m sorry, but I don’t believe in translations for poems and compositions, so the text is in Italian.

Alla mia nazione from: Poesie incivili, 1960

Non popolo arabo, non popolo balcanico, non popolo antico
ma nazione vivente, ma nazione europea:
e cosa sei? Terra di infanti, affamati, corrotti
governanti impiegati di agrari, prefetti codini,
avvocatucci unti di brillantina e i piedi sporchi,
funzionari liberali carogne come gli zii bigotti,
una caserma, un seminario, una spiaggia libera, un casino!
Milioni di piccoli borghesi come milioni di porci
pascolano sospingendosi sotto gli illesi palazzotti,
tra case coloniali scrostate ormai come chiese.
Proprio perché tu sei esistita, ora non esisti,
proprio perché fosti cosciente, sei incosciente.
E solo perché sei cattolica, non puoi pensare
che il tuo male è tutto male: colpa di ogni male.
Sprofonda in questo tuo bel mare, libera il mondo.

Sometimes, I think Italy is the worst country in the world, because it is a country were resources and potentials are not used, nor considered to be important. It’s a land where meritocracy comes after the surname.

But I trust and love Italy anyway, because I know we’re more than that. We have more than good food.

We are more than our past.

We must build our future, an european future, based more on our latine origins than on our supposed Christian roots. A future where our best minds teach the world. A future where workers, entrepeneurs, trade unions, politicians, researchers and intellectuals put away their proud and their mutual hate and work together for a better Italy and Europe.

I want a future of values.

Yes, I’m foolish. And hungry of a good future.