Anne Hebert – Gli offesi / The Offended

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.