Non so che viso avesse, neppure come
si chiamava
con che voce parlasse, con quale voce poi cantava
quanti anni avesse visto allora, di che colore i suoi capelli
ma nella fantasia ho l'immagine sua,
gli eroi son tutti giovani e belli,
gli eroi son tutti giovani e belli,
gli eroi son tutti giovani e belli.
I do not know what face he had, even his name
with what voice he spoke, with what voice he sang
how old he was then, what color his hair
but in the imagination I have his image
all the heroes are young and handsome
all the heroes are young and handsome
all
the heroes are young and handsome
Conosco invece l'epoca dei fatti,
qual'era il suo mestiere:
i primi anni del secolo, macchinista, ferroviere,
i tempi in cui si cominciava la guerra santa dei pezzenti
sembrava il treno anch'esso un mito di progresso,
lanciato sopra i continenti,
lanciato sopra i continenti,
lanciato sopra i continenti.
Instead I know the time, what was his profession: the early years of
the century (1) train driver, railwayman
The days when the holy war of the beggars began
It seemed the train also was a myth of progress
launched over the continents
launched over the continents
launched over the continents
E la locomotiva sembrava fosse un
mostro strano
che l'uomo dominava con il pensiero e con la mano
ruggendo si lasciava indietro distanze che sembravano infinite
sembrava avesse dentro un potere tremendo,
la stessa forza della dinamite,
la stessa forza della dinamite,
la stessa forza della dinamite.
And the locomotive seemed to be a strange monster
that man dominated by thought and by hand
roaring, it went through distances that seemed endless
It seemed to have inside a terrific power
the same power of dynamite
the same power of dynamite
the same power of dynamite
Ma un'altra grande forza spiegava
allora le sue ali
parole che dicevano: "gli uomini sono tutti uguali"
e contro ai re e ai tiranni scoppiava nella via
la bomba proletaria, ed illuminava l'aria
la fiaccola dell'anarchia,
la fiaccola dell'anarchia,
la fiaccola dell'anarchia.
But another great strength in that period explained
its wings
words saying: "all men are equal"
and against kings and tyrants the proletarian bomb burst in the
street
and it lit up the air
the torch of anarchy
the torch of anarchy
the torch of anarchy
Un treno tutti i giorni passava per la
sua stazione
un treno di lusso, lontana destinazione
vedeva gente riverita, pensava a quei velluti, agli ori
pensava al magro giorno della sua gente attorno,
pensava a un treno pieno di signori,
pensava a un treno pieno di signori,
pensava a un treno pieno di signori.
Every day a train passed in his station
a luxury train, to a distant destination
he saw people revered, he thought of those velvets, of those gold
decorations
He thought of the meager day of his people around,
he thought of a train full of (rich) gentlemen
he thought of a train full of (rich) gentlemen
he thought of a train full of (rich) gentlemen
Non so che cosa accadde, perché prese
la decisione
forse una rabbia antica, generazioni senza nome
che urlarono vendetta, gli accecarono il cuore
dimenticò pietà, scordò la sua bontà,
la bomba sua la macchina a vapore,
la bomba sua la macchina a vapore,
la bomba sua la macchina a vapore.
I do not know what happened, why it made the
decision
perhaps an old anger, nameless generations
who shouted revenge, thoughts that blinded his heart
He forgot pity, forgot his kindness
his bomb was the steam engine
his bomb was the steam engine
his bomb was the steam engine
E sul binario stava la locomotiva
la macchina pulsante sembrava fosse cosa viva
sembrava un giovane puledro che appena liberato il freno
mordesse la rotaia con muscoli d'acciaio,
con forza cieca di baleno,
con forza cieca di baleno,
con forza cieca di baleno.
It was the locomotive on the track
the machine seemed to be a living thing
It looked like a young colt, that could bite the rail with steel
muscles, just released the brake
with blind force of lightning
with blind force of lightning
with blind force of lightning
E un giorno come gli altri, ma forse
con più rabbia in corpo
pensò che aveva il modo di riparare a qualche torto
salì sul mostro che dormiva, cercò di mandar via la sua paura
e prima di pensare a quel che stava a fare,
il mostro divorava la pianura,
il mostro divorava la pianura,
il mostro divorava la pianura.
And a day like any other, but perhaps with more anger
in body
he thought he had a way to fix some wrong
he went up the monster who was sleeping, he tried to put away his
fear
and before thinking about what he was doing
The monster was eating up the plain (2)
The monster was eating up the plain
The monster was eating up the plain
Correva l'altro treno ignaro, quasi
senza fretta
nessuno immaginava di andare verso la vendetta
ma alla stazione di Bologna arrivò la notizia in un baleno:
"notizia di emergenza, agite con urgenza,
un pazzo si è lanciato contro al treno,
un pazzo si è lanciato contro al treno,
un pazzo si è lanciato contro al treno."
The other train ran almost leisurely, without any
suspicion
nobody imagined going to face the revenge
but at the station of Bologna the news came in a flash:
"Emergency news, act urgently,
a mad man is going against the train
a mad man is going against the train
a mad man is going against the train"
Ma intanto corre corre corre la
locomotiva
e sibila il vapore, sembra quasi cosa viva
e sembra dire ai contadini curvi, il fischio che si spande in aria:
fratello non temere, che corro al mio dovere,
trionfi la giustizia proletaria,
trionfi la giustizia proletaria,
trionfi la giustizia proletaria.
Meanwhile the locomotive runs runs runs
and the steam hisses, it seems almost a living thing
and it seems to say to the farmers curved, with the whistle that
spreads through the air:
brother, do not fear, I run to my duty,
the proletarian justice must triumph
the proletarian justice must triumph
the proletarian justice must triumph
Intanto corre corre corre sempre più
forte
e corre corre corre corre verso la morte
e niente ormai può trattenere l'immensa forza distruttrice
aspetta sol lo schianto e poi che giunga il manto
della grande consolatrice,
della grande consolatrice,
della grande consolatrice.
Meanwhile the locomotive runs faster and faster
and runs runs runs runs towards death
and now nothing can hold back the immense destructive force
it is just waiting for the tremendous crash and then for the arrival
of the great comforter (3)
of the great comforter
of the great comforter
La storia ci racconta come finì la
corsa
la macchina deviata lungo una linea morta
con l'ultimo suo grido di animale la macchina eruttò lapilli e lava
esplose contro il cielo, poi il fumo sparse il velo,
lo raccolsero che ancora respirava,
lo raccolsero che ancora respirava,
lo raccolsero che ancora respirava.
The story tells how the race ended
The machine diverted along a dead line
with his last cry as of an animal, the machine erupted lapillus and
lava
and exploded against the sky, then the smoke spread around as a veil
they picked him up while he was still breathing
they picked him up while he was still breathing
they picked him up while he was still breathing
Ma a noi piace pensarlo ancora dietro
al motore
mentre fa correr via la macchina a vapore
e che ci giunga un giorno ancora la notizia
di una locomotiva come una cosa viva,
lanciata a bomba contro l'ingiustizia,
lanciata a bomba contro l'ingiustizia,
lanciata a bomba contro l'ingiustizia.
But we like to think of him still behind the engine
while he drives the steam engine
and that the news will reach us again, one day
of a locomotive as a living thing ,
that is launched as a bomb against injustice ,
On YouTube
(Recommended Video)
Live Collection (1970). Audio only, classical registration
Live
performance, Labour Day concert in Rome (1st of May 1992)
Notes
The song is inspired to an actual event occurred in the
last years of the XIX century in Italy even if not in the same way.
In the song (not in the reality) the event becomes an anarchic attack conducted
not with dynamite or with weapons but by means of a locomotive. It
gives this story a positive meaning by referring to the injustice of
those distant years. But in the years of protest in Italy, in the
70s, it has become an anthem and an invitation to struggle even in
the present time, and one of the most famous Italian songs and most
frequently sung.
It is unknown if the author wants to give this meaning to the song,
probably in part, yes. But some years later, first in 1974 and then
in 1980, two real bombs exploded on a train directed to Bologna and in the
station itself, causing many deaths. They were not anarchist bombs,
maybe they were fascist ones (two well-known fascist terrorists were
sentenced to life imprisonment for the second bomb) but Francesco Guccini has stopped for years to sing again "La Locomotiva"
without adding an explanation.
(1)
Of
course, the XX Century
(2)
The Po
valley, in which the main city is Bologna, referred in the followings,
and where Guccini lives.
(3)
The
death.
Other songs of Francesco Guccini transalated:
Incontro (Encounter)