From the Mixed Up Files of a Sicilian Man

Sicilian is my native language. Yet, to survive in an Italian academic system and in a melting pot American society, I acquired Italian and American English language skills.

However, in my early melting pot experience, I often wrote in Sicilian to keep my native roots nourished.

I wrote the following poem in pseudo-sicilian and dedicated to my fiancee’ and future wife, Consiglia:

Stu cucciolettu accucciatillu

Quannu fa’ friddu e non ci sugnu

E siccume un cucciolettu beddu

E bonu non avi numi

Lu chiamiamu Valentinu

E ugni vota che veni

U quatturdici Febraiu

Divinta simpri piu’ beddu

e bonu

Si ogni tantu fa’ u cattivu

Lu perduniamu

E tuttu turna

Comu prima

Questo cuccioletto accuccialo

Quando fa’ freddo e non ci sono

E siccome un cuccioletto bello

E buono non ha nomi

Lo chiamiamo Valentino

E ogni volta che viene

Il quattordici Febbraio

Diventa sempre piu’ bello

E buono

Se ogni tanto fa il cattivo

Lo perdoniamo

E tutto torna

Come prima

Hug this little puppy

When it’s cold and I’m not there

And since this beautiful

And good puppy has no names

We call him Valentino

And every time it comes

On the fourteenth of February

It gets more and more beautiful

And good

If he does a bad deed every now and then

We forgive him

And it all returns

Like before

As far as I know, the Sicilian language is recognized by UNESCO as an official European language with its own unique linguistic structure and grammar.

it is nice to know that, to solidify its unique historical and cultural presence, Andrea Camilleri, a renowned author of over 100 novels and best known for his ‘Montalbano’ stories around the globe, utilized the Sicilian language to express his embedded Sicilian sentiments.

Sicilian language is indeed a universal language that extrapolates suffering but finds a way to be humbly alive.