Il Vestito di Arlecchino - by Gianni Rodari

Gianni Rodari was born in Omegna, near Lake Orta, province of Novara, on 23rd October 1920 and died in Rome on 14th April 1980. An author, educator and journalist, he wrote many books for children and teenagers, where the main theme is the struggle of good versus evil and the importance of friendship, and was translated into many languages.

In 1970 he was awarded the prestigious Premio Andersen; among the greatest authors of the "fantasy" theme, he also wrote La grammatica della fantasia (The Grammar of Fantasy, 1974), about the art of inventing stories. In Italy there are now hundreds of parks, clubs, libraries, playgrounds, streets, kindergartens and elementary schools named after him, among them the "Parco Rodari" in Omegna, his hometown, and the Public Library of Rome Municipio VII.

Among his most famous characters is Cipollino, who fights for his fellow vegetable friends against the fruit royalty (Prince Lemon and Tomato). His most popular books were Il libro delle filastrocche (1951), Il romanzo di Cipollino (1951), La freccia azzurra (1953), Gelsomino nel paese dei bugiardi (1958), Filastrocche in cielo e in terra (1960), Favole al telefono (1962), La torta in cielo (1966), and many others.

The poem "Il vestito di Arlecchino" was made into a song, music composed by Roberto Fasciano. In the video, costumes and masks of Harlequin, Columbine, Pantalone, Pulcinella, Brighella, Balanzone.

The video is a creation RobertoFasciano [You Tube channel: RobertoFasciano].

[The video is not seen well with Internet Explorer 8 - in case watch it on YouTube directly.]

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Il vestito di Arlecchino

Harlequin's costume

Per fare un vestito ad Arlecchino
ci mise una toppa Meneghino,

To make a costume to Harlequin
Meneghino put a patch,

ne mise un'altra Pulcinella,
una Gianduia, una Brighella.

another was put by Pulcinella,
one Gianduja, one Brighella.

Pantalone, vecchio pidocchio,
ci mise uno strappo sul ginocchio,

Pantalone, the old louse,
put a tear on the knee,

e Stenterello, largo di mano
qualche macchia di vino toscano.

and Stenterello, the squanderer
a few stains of Tuscan wine.

Colombina che lo cucì
fece un vestito stretto così.

Colombina who sewed it
made such a tight a costume.

Arlecchino lo mise lo stesso
ma ci stava un tantino perplesso.

Harlequin put it on the same
but he was in there a bit worried.

Disse allora Balanzone,
bolognese dottorone:

Then said Balanzone,
the big doctor from Bologna:

"Ti assicuro e te lo giuro
che ti andrà bene li mese venturo

"I assure you, and I swear
it will fit you fine next month

se osserverai la mia ricetta:
un giorno digiuno e l'altro bolletta!".

if you follow my recipe:
one day fasting and the other service bills."