Paolo Bertolani (1956)

Bertolani, born in Serra di Lerici, was one of Liguria’s best-known poets nationwide. Dedicating himself to the local tongue rather late in life, the fundamental theme of his poetry is an uninterrupted dialogue with the dead, a kind of regress into memory so as not to interrupt contact with loved ones, whose disappearance appears traumatic and incurable. Literary suggestions – Pascoli in the first place – influenced the author, corroborated moreover by a linguistic research that “takes full advantage of the peculiarities of a medium of expression characterized by a very special musicality”.^[1].

^[1] F. Toso, Letteratura genovese e ligure – Il Novecento – I, Marietti, Genova, 1991.

Er buio i ven da sorve

As people, so do places and their memories disappear, swept away by time and progress.

Er buio i ven da sorve,
i empia i baladoi:
ormai l’é proprio sea.

A penso a quante cose l’en spaì,
come fito la mea a maavigia:
nicò e ciave di pole
’n cò da stada
chi ’r sa tra che rassa d’erbe
adè la sian piatà.

Aieta pe Arbé

The world that was once of those who disappeared, and as it was born of them, continues to stand on their invisible presence, their solicitude, ultimately their love.

Dai vedi no me riva che mureti
biancolare, ondà. Nadi da te,
come tuta sta cà.
Arenta, en bobi i denta
a no so che nuvieta: se de mosque
ò de tafan…
Dai copi, dar soacin,
riva a té gose: «Er pan
g’è drent’aa mastra,
sorve a l’aigueo er vin.
Se t’è besogno d’artro
vìseme dar camin».