Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo, Il Quarto Stato (The Fourth Estate), 1901
By rank of hunger, the indigents were lined up by rank of anger, the seditious were examined by rank of good conscience, the masters were judged by rank of offense, the humiliated were interrogated by rank of mutilation, the crucified were considered in this extreme misery the mutes came to the front lines a whole nation of mutes stayed on the barricades their desire for the word was so urgent that the verb came through the streets to meet them the burden it was charged with was so heavy that the cry “fire” exploded from its heart disguised as a word.
In ordine di carestia gli indigenti furono allineati in ordine di collera i sediziosi furono esaminati in ordine di buona coscienza i maestri furono giudicati in ordine di offesa gli umiliati furono interrogati in ordine di ferita i crocefissi furono considerati in questa estrema miseria i muti erano in prima linea tutto un popolo di muti rimaneva sulle barricate il loro desiderio di parola era talmente urgente che il verbo venne loro incontro dalle strade il fardello di cui era carico fu cosi’ pesante che il grido “Fuoco” gli esplose dal cuore in forma di parola.
