PIER PAOLO PASOLINI Poem MOTHERS BALLAD Full English TEXT
Pasolini ‘s poems
Pier Paolo Pasolini
Mothers Ballad
( Italian: Ballata delle Madri )
from Book:
Poetry in the form of a rose
Pasolini – Italian poetry
Full text translated into English
Italian literature
Mothers Ballad (original italian: La ballata delle madri) is one of the most provocative poems in the Book – anthology “Poesía in forma de rosa” by Pier Paolo Pasolini.
Through the language of rage as well as the use of devastating metaphors, the “idyllic” representation of family is utterly destroyed: the fathers are absent, the brothers are fratricide and the mothers, “vile, mediocre, servile, ferocious”, are blamed for the origin of bourgeois society and all its evils.
Below, you can read the poetry: ”Mothers Ballad” (italian original: Ballata delle madri) by Pier Paolo Pasolini, in full text translated into English.
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Enjoy the reading.
Pier Paolo Pasolini All writings > here
Pier Paolo Pasolini
Mothers Ballad
Full text translated into English
Pasolini – Italian Poem
I wonder what kind of mothers have you had.
If they could see you now at work
in a world they don’t know,
taken in an endless circle
of experiences so different from theirs,
what look would they have in their eyes?
If they were there, while you, conformists and baroques,
are writing your article
and you give it to editors who are used
to all kind of compromise, would they recognise you?
Coward mothers, with an ancient fear on their face,
which (the fear) is like a disease
that warps features with paleness,
obfuscates them, distances them from the heart,
and lock them in the old moral rejection.
Coward mothers, poor them, troubled from the idea
that their children will know cowardness
to ask for a work place, to be realistic,
to not offend priviliged souls,
to protect themselves from any pity.
Lousy mothers, who have learnt
with a child-humility
only one bare meaning about us,
with souls in a damned world
wich doesn’t give pain nor joy.
Lousy mothers, who didn’t have
for you a single word of love,
if not a meanly mute, beasty love
and in this love they raised you,
harmless to the real call of your heart.
Servile mothers, used for centuries
to bow their heads without love.
to transmit to their fetus the ancient, shameful secret
of contenting yourselves with the remains of the feast.
Servile mothers, who taught you
how the servant can be happy
hating who is, like him, in chains,
how he can be content and safe
cheating and doing what he doesn’t say.
Fierce mothers, focused on defending
the little that bourgeoises own,
the normality and the salary,
with the rage of the ones who take their revenge
or the ones who are under an absurd attack.
Fierce mothers who said you:
“Survive! Think about yourself!
Don’t have any pity or respect
for anybody, harbor in your chest
your vulture’s integrity!”
There they are, your coward, lousy, servile,
fierce, poor mothers!
They are not ashamed from the knowledge of you
being arrogant in your hate.
This is just a tears’ valley.
The world is yours in this way:
brothers in the opposite passions,
or opponent homelands,
that refuse being different and (refuse)
to answer to the savage pain of being humans.
…
..
.
Pier Paolo Pasolini – Mothers Ballad
From book: Poetry in the form of a rose.
In original Italian: Ballata delle madri
Full text translated into English
Italian Poem – Italian Literature
Pier Paolo Pasolini Ballata delle madri Original Italian Text > here
Pier Paolo Pasolini All writings > here
