Romany poetry

Cib marí


Kamáva tu
cib marí.
Tu sal bravalí ta chororí
sar jamén.
Kántu sam bibaxtalé
ménge tu déssa le láu par te rovás,
kántu sam kontán
ménge tu déssa le láu par te sas,
kántu si-amén bróxa te garavássa men
tu, cib marí, déssa ménge ne vast.

But pirdál méntza
pren sa le dromá do vélto,
sálas i jag da maré giljá,
ma kaná
andrén kalá džungalé pláse
kaj cidéna men le gadžé
tu meréssa ne písla óni divés,
sar jamén.

Se našavássa tu
nínge jamén sam našadé.
Šunén cavalé,
šun ternibén,
maré puré Sínti
mukjén-le ménge
kajá šukár, gulí cib.
Na bistarás la,
sikavás la kaj maré cavé,
indžarás la sémpar ménca
sar o kórkoro braválimo
ke si-amén.


Our language

O love you,
Our language.
You are rich and poor
As we are.
When we are sad
You give us words to weep,
When we are happy
You give us words to rejoice,
When we need to hide
You, our language, help us.

You have travelled together with us
Along the streets of the world,
You were the fire of our songs
And now
In these nasty lands
That gadje give us
You are dying a little every day,
As we do.

If we lose you
We will be lost, too.
Hear, O children!
Hear, O Youth!,
Our old Sintis
have left us
This beautiful and sweet language.
Do not forget it,
Teach it to our children
Keep it always with us
As the only treasure
That belong to us.

Spatzo (Vittorio Mayer Pasquale)
www.vurdon.it