The Festino What a pealing, what a banger, What a feast this morning! Palermitans, let’s go! Let’s run to the Marina, For our Santuzza they make an alborata, Let’s come closer this great masculiata. W Saint Rosalia, Palermo’s patron saint, Five days feasting, and Palermo stops. It’s centuries, by now, that we use as you know. The arches are all ready, The santuzzi are all set, The banks along the Cassaro
Snails, calia, nougat, Almond nougat, muscardini, wine, stigghiola , watermelons. W Saint Rosalia, Palermo’s patron saint, Five days feasting, and Palermo stops, Until the great fire Bangs aloud, but for joking. W Saint Rosalia, Palermo’s patron saint, Five days feasting, and Palermo stops Siminzedda, wine, nuts, But, who will his own mouth sew? Antonino Leggio (literal translation)
This Thispoem poemwas waswritten writtenby byAntonino AntoninoLeggio, Leggio,an anelementary elementaryschool schoolteacher teacherborn born ininPalermo Palermoinin1909. 1909. He Hewas waspassionated passionatedwith withfolklore folkloreand andwrote wrotemany manypoems poemsininSicilian, Sicilian,among among them them«Lu «LuFistinu», Fistinu»,published publishedininthe thecollection collection«Cosi «Cosiduci ducieemuccuna muccunaamara» amara» («Sweet («Sweetthings thingsand andsore sorebits»). bits»).This Thispoem poemisisabout aboutthe themore moreimportant importantfeast feastinin Palermo: Palermo:the theFestino Festinoof ofSaint SaintRosalia. Rosalia.According Accordingto tothe thelegend, legend,inin1624, 1624,Saint Saint Rosalia Rosaliaappeared appearedto toaaman manand andtold toldhim himwhere whereto tofind findher herbody bodyand andthat thatififthis this body bodywas wascarried carriedininprocession, procession,Palermo Palermowould wouldbe befreed freedfrom fromthe theplague. plague.So Sothis this happened, happened,and andon on15th 15thJuly Julythere therewas wasaasolemn solemnprocession processionand andthe theplague plague stopped. stopped. The Thechariot, chariot,during duringall allthese thesecentury, century,changed changedseveral severaltimes. times.Also AlsoGiuseppe Giuseppe Pitrè, Pitrè,the theman manwho whobefore beforeour ourschool schoolisisnamed, named,projected projectedan anenormous enormousone. one. Everyone Everyonefor forthe theFestino Festinothere thereisisaahuge hugecrowd crowdand andwe weuse useto tohave havespecial specialmeal: meal: pasta pastawith withanchovies, anchovies,snails, snails,sfincione, sfincione,octopus, octopus,pollanche pollanche(corn), (corn),watermelons, watermelons, calia caliaeesemenza semenza(roasted (roastedchickpeas chickpeasand andpumpkin pumpkinseeds). seeds).The Theprocession processionstarts starts from fromthe theCathedral Cathedraland andgoes goesalong alongthe themain mainstreet street(Il(IlCassaro) Cassaro)until untilreaching reachingthe the sea, sea,where whereititends endswith withfireworks: fireworks:ititrepresents representsthe thepassage passagefrom fromdeath deathto tolife. life.
Classes II E-G - age 6/7 Direzione Didattica Statale G.Pitré-M.Rapisardi, Palermo, Italy