La rana viajera
"El libro futuro"
by Julio Camba
A magazine, a not at all a friendly one, speaking of the destruction of Germany, wrote: "It's useless that the Germans prtetned to protest. Let them cry like women having lost what they couldn't defend as men!" It seems, nevertheless, that the Germans aren't crying like women for this reason. Quite the contrary, they're dancing, singng and drinking away with enormouse celebraiton. According to the Daily Mail--in a letter from a Berlin correspondent--the ancient, imperial capital is living it up like in the good old days. Germany is breaking up, and the same men that only a few months ago were sacrficing their lives fro hit, are now employing their energy reservices in dancing teh fox-trot.
"Is such depravity possible?," the reader may ask.
And I, who have lived amongst them for two years, will respond:
"Yes; it's possible. And it is possible...becaue it isn't depravity.
At the beginnign of hte way, no one believed that the Germans were capable of bombing defenseless cities or sinking passenger vessels. But I did. And it wasn't like I had a worse concept of them then others, but I had one that was more distinct. Others supposed that in order for a German to kill a child in war it was absolutely necessary that he be wicked. I, on the other hand, believed a German could kill kids without actually failing to be an excellent ftaher, a sensnbile man with heightened snesibilities. There are women who if placed atop Mont-Blance, as they say, woudl still be avialbe; women who have fallen a thousand times and whose sould, nonehthless, we might say is as pure as theat of a 6 yr old girl. It seems like they'll never foind that out. And still, the psychologyo fhtese women would be enought to explain how a German with a rosa pressed bettwen the pages of his poetry book could, tenderly, go and flinkg 40 kilo bombs atop the roofs of Paris...
And now, twhiel Germany is crumbling to pieces, Berlin is burning with parties. Depravation? No sir. The pfact of the matter is, the Germans have not yet comprehend the result of the war. They know that their armny has been vanquished. They know tha tthe Kaiser has abdicated. They know all if this vaguely in a confused way; but they know nothing lese.
In twenty years, however, things will change radically. Some erudite proefssor will have published an enormous study in a bunch of thick volumes, studying the war, not only in its military aspect, but in its social, poltical, economic, and all other aspects. Probably, the first part of th work will be dedicated to the ancient war, before Germany was even a thought. Who knows? Maybe the author will have also written a study on teh catapult, pointing to that invention as the origin of the the 42 mortar. And then, a generation of Germans will soak their glasses. They'll spend nights awake studying and discovering exactly waht happend to their country from 1914-1918.
Everyone knows that Germana ususally don't laught at jokes until about 24 hours after hearing them, thwen they finally arrive at the point. In 20 yrs, they'll finally arrive at the point of understanding the European war and they'll break down and cry. They'll cry in poetry, cry in music. THey'll cry with their violains, hapres, bagpipes, saxophones, and contrabasses of the ex-empire. All of Germany will cry, and will cry immensely; but their tears will be late.
And, int eh meantime, in the Palais des Dances, Germany dances at 100 marks an hour.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Regarding declarations of love (Italian)
Regarding declarations of love (March 2011)
Dear Beppe,
I read in the latest column of SETTE your response "A declaration of love" and I agree with what you wrote. Specifically with regard to the topic "Unity of Italy," I'm sending you this little column.
Dinner in the hinterlands of Milan. 5 nations are represented around our table: Maldovia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Eritrea, and yours truly, the sole Italian. The amostphere is peaceful and friendly, familiar among people of different origins who work, study and encounter difficulties and respect the laws. Two kids play in the living room, born in Italy 9 years ago, one from Maldovian parents, the other from Ukrainian-Egyptian parents. They attend 4th grade at different elementary schools. All of a sudden they start singing the Hymn of Mameli together. I hear them from the kitchen and I smile.
After "Italy beckoned" stupor blocks my applause, because the children continue: "We've been persectued and derided for centuries." We never sing the second verse because we don't know it. And when we break out in "Unite, love one another: the union and love reveal to us the ways of the Lord," stupor gives way to a true flood of emotion. Who's ever sung the third verse? D'Azeglio used to say that we need to "form ourselves into Italians," but if chosen people walk provocatively out of a hall while the hymn is playing, it means we haven't achieved that goal after 150yrs. But I'm optomistic: the children are "rushes bent under sold swords," and because of them we'll succeed in becoming Italians.
Daniele Redaelli, dredaelli@gazzetta.it
Beautiful story, Danielle: Thank you. I'm copying and attaching Thursday's letter from SETTE and my response.
Sandra Corti writes(sandracorti@mac.com): "I've been living in the United States for 10 yrs. I have a 7yr old daughter here. Since he started school when he was 4, he has, every morning, together with his classmates, teacher, and the whole school in unison (via loudspeakers), stood up, placed her hand over her heart, with eyes turned to the American flag and proclaimed out loud "The Pledge of Allegiance: "I pledge allegiance to the flag of United Stats of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all". This is how American children begin their day.
Beppe's response:
A sacred duty of fidelity to a nation: The Pledge of Allegiance, it would be good for us to do it as well. I imagine the objections: what use is such a declaration in an empatic, incoherent, and absent-minded Italy? So many of our leaders have made a mockery of the 54th article of the constitution: "Citizens to whom public functions have been granted have the duty to absolve those tasks with discipline and honor, under oath according to the stipulations of the law." Why would such people honor yet another tenet of loyalty? The answer is easy, and I'm happy to give it on the day of Italy's 150th birthday.
We must give ourselves up to the requirement of fedelity of the elected: he who has a conscience must use it; he who doesn't, no phrase or ceremony will deliver it for him. A declaration a' la Americana might help instead a younger electorate upon whom we cast our hopes, and for new Italians, from whom we expect effert, enthusiasm, and loyalty that the USA expects of its new citizens. To choose a new country is to accept new duties, rights, traditions, and lifestyles. In order ot be good Italians, a bit of romantic love for the place is a necessity: there's no other way.
Many wishes. Something I find in my email inbox that I enjoyed: auguri.tecnova.it. That's right. Italy deserves better. Italy needs to be better led and inspired, not pandered to in all its desires or absolved from all its guilts.
P.S.: Happy Saint's day to all Giuseppe, Beppe, Peppe, Peppino, Pino, Pinuccio, et company!
Dear Beppe,
I read in the latest column of SETTE your response "A declaration of love" and I agree with what you wrote. Specifically with regard to the topic "Unity of Italy," I'm sending you this little column.
Dinner in the hinterlands of Milan. 5 nations are represented around our table: Maldovia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Eritrea, and yours truly, the sole Italian. The amostphere is peaceful and friendly, familiar among people of different origins who work, study and encounter difficulties and respect the laws. Two kids play in the living room, born in Italy 9 years ago, one from Maldovian parents, the other from Ukrainian-Egyptian parents. They attend 4th grade at different elementary schools. All of a sudden they start singing the Hymn of Mameli together. I hear them from the kitchen and I smile.
After "Italy beckoned" stupor blocks my applause, because the children continue: "We've been persectued and derided for centuries." We never sing the second verse because we don't know it. And when we break out in "Unite, love one another: the union and love reveal to us the ways of the Lord," stupor gives way to a true flood of emotion. Who's ever sung the third verse? D'Azeglio used to say that we need to "form ourselves into Italians," but if chosen people walk provocatively out of a hall while the hymn is playing, it means we haven't achieved that goal after 150yrs. But I'm optomistic: the children are "rushes bent under sold swords," and because of them we'll succeed in becoming Italians.
Daniele Redaelli, dredaelli@gazzetta.it
Beautiful story, Danielle: Thank you. I'm copying and attaching Thursday's letter from SETTE and my response.
Sandra Corti writes(sandracorti@mac.com): "I've been living in the United States for 10 yrs. I have a 7yr old daughter here. Since he started school when he was 4, he has, every morning, together with his classmates, teacher, and the whole school in unison (via loudspeakers), stood up, placed her hand over her heart, with eyes turned to the American flag and proclaimed out loud "The Pledge of Allegiance: "I pledge allegiance to the flag of United Stats of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all". This is how American children begin their day.
Beppe's response:
A sacred duty of fidelity to a nation: The Pledge of Allegiance, it would be good for us to do it as well. I imagine the objections: what use is such a declaration in an empatic, incoherent, and absent-minded Italy? So many of our leaders have made a mockery of the 54th article of the constitution: "Citizens to whom public functions have been granted have the duty to absolve those tasks with discipline and honor, under oath according to the stipulations of the law." Why would such people honor yet another tenet of loyalty? The answer is easy, and I'm happy to give it on the day of Italy's 150th birthday.
We must give ourselves up to the requirement of fedelity of the elected: he who has a conscience must use it; he who doesn't, no phrase or ceremony will deliver it for him. A declaration a' la Americana might help instead a younger electorate upon whom we cast our hopes, and for new Italians, from whom we expect effert, enthusiasm, and loyalty that the USA expects of its new citizens. To choose a new country is to accept new duties, rights, traditions, and lifestyles. In order ot be good Italians, a bit of romantic love for the place is a necessity: there's no other way.
Many wishes. Something I find in my email inbox that I enjoyed: auguri.tecnova.it. That's right. Italy deserves better. Italy needs to be better led and inspired, not pandered to in all its desires or absolved from all its guilts.
P.S.: Happy Saint's day to all Giuseppe, Beppe, Peppe, Peppino, Pino, Pinuccio, et company!
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