Ignazio Buttitta

Ignazio Buttitta (19 September 1899 - 5 April 1997) was a Sicilian dialectal poet.

Biography

Born at Bagheria into a poor family, after having taken part in World War I Buttitta joined the Italian Socialist Party and around this time started to write poetry in Sicilian. His first volume of poetry published was "Sintimintali" (Sentimental), followed in 1928 by "Marabedda". Soon after, Buttitta relocated to Milan, where he achieved some success in the commercial world while continuing to pursue his passion for literature. Due to his political leanings, he had to leave Milan during World War II; after which he joined the Resistance, was jailed by the fascists, and narrowly avoided the death penalty, before returning to Milan, where he spent time with Sicilian intellectuals such as Elio Vittorini, Salvatore Quasimodo and Renato Guttuso. In 1954 he published his new book of poetry, "Lu pani si chiama pani" (The bread is called bread), financed by the Italian Communist Party. In this volume he defined himself as "Pueta e latru" (Poem and thief), an allusion to the manner in which he would pass among the people like a thief, appropriating their feelings, leaving behind a sentimental thread. This was especially the case in relation to his nostalgia for his homeland, but there are also more socially-oriented themes, in particular, protests against the social situation of Italy and Sicily, such as "A stragi di Purtedda" (1947, about Salvatore Giuliano and the Portella della Ginestra massacre), and "Lamentu d'una matri" (1953, about Salvatore Carnevale, a Sicilian trade unionist killed by the mafia).

Buttitta won the Viareggio prize in 1972, for the volume "Io faccio il poeta" (I am a poet). His works have been translated into French, Russian and Greek.

Buttitta, during his career as a poet, has never hidden his pride in being Sicilian, and his love for the language of the island. In one of his most famous poems, "Lingua e dialettu" (Language and dialect), he explicitly talks about language as a key issue for his people, and implores his fellows Sicilians to preserve their language:

A contemporary Berlin-based Sicilian folk singer, Etta Scollo, celebrates the work of Sicilian folk singer and Buttitta associate, Rosa Balistreri, including rendering a version of Buttitta's "The Pirates of Palermo":

Arrivaru li naviTanti navi a PalermuLi pirati sbarcaruCu li facci d’infernu N’arrubbaru lu suli, lu suliArristamu a lu scuru,chi scuruSicilia chianci! Tuttu l’oru a l’aranciLi pirati arrubbaruLi campagni spugghiatiCu la negghia lassaru N’arrubbaru lu suli, lu suliArristamu a lu scuru,chi scuruSicilia chianci! Li culura dû mariN’arrubbaru chi dannuSu ‘mpazzuti li pisciChi lamentu ca fannu N’arrubbaru lu suli, lu suliArristamu a lu scuru,chi scuruSicilia chianci! A li fìmmini nostriCi scipparu di l’occhiLa lustrura e lu focuCa addumava li specchi N’arrubbaru lu suli, lu suliArristamu a lu scuru,chi scuruSicilia chianci!

The ships arriveSo many ships at PalermoThe pirates come ashoreWith infernal faces They steal from us the sun, the sunWe are left in darknesswhat a darknessCry Sicily! All the gold of the orangesThe pirates steal awayTheir rapacious campaignsIn the fog they create They steal from us the sun, the sunWe are left in darknesswhat a darknessCry Sicily! The colours of the seaThey steal those from us, an outrage!The fish are so crazedAs to lament their existence They steal from us the sun, the sunWe are left in darknesswhat a darknessCry Sicily! From our womens' eyesThey tear outThe splendour and fireWhich lit up mirrors They steal from us the sun, the sunWe are left in darknesswhat a darknessCry Sicily!

External links

* [http://membres.lycos.fr/bibliotecasiciliana/li_pirati_a_palermu_les_pirates_a_palerme.htm Selection of poems (in Sicilian, Italian, French and Spanish]
* [http://www.dieli.net/SicilyPage/Poetry/Buttitta.html] Some English translations of some Buttitta poems