Come una volta,
nonna Luna arriva
dalla finestra carica
di storie e memorie.
Coraggio figliola,
non aver paura,
ti farò compagnia
ovunque tu sia!
Nonna Luna
racconta e canta
poesie che fanno sentire
a casa nella terra straniera.
Glossary
|
WORD
|
DEFINITION
|
POSSIBLE SYNONYMS
|
|---|---|---|
| a casa (phrase) | a sense of belonging in one’s environment | at home, at ease, at rest |
| arriva (v.) | from the verb arrivare—to reach a destination | arrives, here comes, enters, turns up, appears, visits |
| aver paura (phrase) | literally means “have fear”; from the verb avare—to contain—and the word paura—fear | be afraid, be scared, be frightened, be worried, be upset, worry, fear, fret |
| canta (v.) | from the verb cantare—to make musical sounds with the voice | sings, croons, serenades, hums, chants, warbles |
| carica (adj.) | containing or holding as much or as many as possible | full, loaded, carrying, brimming, flooded, overflowing, laden |
| che (conj.) | used to introduce a new clause | which, that |
| come (adv.) | having the same characteristics as; similar to | like, as, similar to, just like |
| coraggio (n.) | strength in the face of pain or grief; the ability to do something that frightens one | courage, bravery, be brave, cheer up |
| dalla (prep. + art.) | indicating the direction of an object traveling through space | from the, through the |
| di (prep.) | indicating the material or substance making up something | of, with |
| e (conj.) | in addition to | and, as well as, plus |
| fanno (v.) | from the verb fare—to make | makes, causes |
| farò compagnia (phrase) | from the phrase fare compagnia—to go somewhere with someone as a companion or escort | I will keep company, I will accompany, I will be with, I will follow, I will look after, I will come along with |
| figliola (n.) | a girl in relation to her parents; young girl | daughter, little one, child |
| finestra (n.) | an opening in the wall that is fitted with glass and allows people to see out | window, porthole, casement |
| luna (n.) | the natural satellite of the earth, visible mainly at night due to reflected light from the sun | moon |
| memorie (n.) | information or events remembered from the past | memories, remembrances, recollections, reflections, reminiscences, thoughts of the past |
| nella (prep. + art.) | enclosed or surrounded by something else | in the, in a |
| non (adv.) | used to form the negative | not, do not |
| nonna (n.) | the mother of one’s father or mother | grandmother, grandma, granny, nana, gran |
| ovunque (adv.) | at, in, or to any place or point | everywhere, anywhere, wherever, no matter where |
| poesie (n.) | pieces of writing that are nearly always rhythmical, usually metaphorical, and written in verse | poems, rhymes, verses, sonnets |
| racconta (v.) | from the verb raccontare—to utter something to someone else | says, tells, recounts, relates, narrates, imparts, relates |
| sentire (v.) | to experience an emotion or sensation | feel, sense |
| sia (v.) | from the verb essere—to be or exist | are, may be, find yourself, go |
| storie (n.) | accounts of imaginary or real people and events told for entertainment | stories, tales, narratives, accounts |
| straniera (adj.) | not known or recognized | strange, unfamiliar, unknown, new, foreign, alien, peculiar |
| terra (n.) | an area or division, especially part of a country or the world | land, country, nation, territory, region, area, domain |
| ti (dir. pron.) | the person being spoken to | you, to you |
| tu (pron.) | the person being spoken to | you |
| una volta (expression) | a phrase that often introduces a story or fairy tale and means “at some time in the past” | once upon a time, in days gone by, in times past, in the old days, long ago |
Artistic Elements
About Quatrain
• Quatrain is a four-line stanza, rhyming with various forms for example:
o ABAC or ABCB (known as unbounded or ballad quatrain), as in Samuel Taylor
Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.”
It is an ancient Mariner,
And he stoppeth one of three.
Now wherefore stopp’st thou me?
The Bridegroom’s doors are opened wide
And I am next of kin
The guests are met, the feast is set:
May’st hear the merry din.
o AABB (a double couplet); see A.E. Housman’s “To an Athlete Dying Young
The time you won your town the race
We chaired you through the market-place;
Man and boy stood cheering by.
And home we brought you shoulder-high
Today the road all runner come,
Shoulder-high we bring you home.
And set you at your threshold down,
Townsman of a stiller town.
Bio
Born in Asmara, Eritrea, Ribka Sibhatu has written poetry, essays, translations, and fairy tales in both Tigrinya and Italian. In 1979 Sibhatu was falsely accused of opposing Eritrea’s government and unjustly imprisoned. After a year in prison, she fled her native country, traveling first to Ethiopia, then France, and finally settling in Rome, Italy, where she has lived ever since.