Son piccolina,- I was taught this poem by my Nonna, Lina Carta of Sardinia, Italy. I had it memorized by the age of 3 and am reported to have recited it in frilly velvet dresses while standing on her dining room table.
nulla so fare.
Vado in cucine
cerco da mangiare.
Bella non sono,
brutta ne meno.
Gli occhi mi brillano,
il cuore mi fa:
tic e tic e ta.
It wasn't until a few years ago that I really translated it beyond the bit I already knew.
I'm curious to hear translations from native Italians, particularly Sardinians in the Sassari region.
My best translation:
I'm a little girl,
there's not much I can do.
I go to the kitchen
to find something to eat.
I'm not beautiful,
but I'm not ugly either.
My eyes, they sparkle,
my heart, it says:
tick-y-tick-y-ta.
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