“Detti Calabresi,” Calabrian Sayings from Borgo Croce

How often do we hear about Italy’s abandoned villages? Inhabitants moved away for work, to larger cities, to the north or abroad. In a frazione of Fiumara, a group of townsfolk decided that they didn’t want to move away from their “neighborhood” in the foothills of the Aspromonte Mountains overlooking the Strait of Messina in the Province of Reggio Calabria. And they founded the project Borgo Croce to beautify their village, which now is alive with color as well as colorful detti calabresi, Calabrian sayings.

FAI DA TE – DO IT YOURSELF

So what to do with the grayish, empty buildings that evoke more than a tinge of sadness? Slap some color on them and literally bring back a bit of vivacità, a viviacity, a liveliness to their village of Croce, “Borgo Croce” in its branding. Not just color, but words, detti calabresi, Calabrian sayings. And instead of waiting around and complaining about how things don’t happen, they did it themselves. And people are coming.

LAVORO ONESTO – HONEST WORK

A iaddina faci l’ovu e o jiaddu n’ci brucia u culu.
La gallina fa l’uovo e al gallo gli brucia il culo.
The hen lays the egg and the rooster’s bottom burns.

This expression conjures a clear visual of the work and possible consequences of the laying of an egg. Its use would be apt when you do something and those around you lament as though they had done it themselves. Hopefully, any lazy roosters in Borgo Croce are keeping it to themselves, but there will always be divergent views…

PUNTI DI VISTA – POINTS OF VIEW

Cu a voli cotta e cu a voli crura.
Chi la vuole cotta e chi la vuole cruda.
Some like it well done and some like it raw.

This aphorism can be injected into a conversation with differing opinions, and you exasperatedly or dismissively respond with this version of “to each his own”! However, when you’re sure of yourself, perhaps the following detto calabrese might work for you.

Vegnu ru mortu e mi rici ch’e’ vivu.
Vengo dal morto e mi dici che è vivo.
I’ve come from the dead, and you tell me he’s alive.

In other words, I’m telling you something with absolute certitude and you persist with the opposite.

LASCIA STARE – LET IT BE

Have you ever been in an argument and you want to say something cutting, but you decide to let it go? That’s the significance of this Calabrian saying:

A megghiu parola è chidda chi nan si rici.
La parola migliore è quella che non si dice.
The best word is that not said.

The following detto calabrese could be loosely translated in English as “Actions speak louder than words.”

I paroli si leva u ventu.
Le parole se le porta via il vento.
The wind blows words away.

You can talk all you want, but facts are what count.

PROVERBI SENZA TEMPO – TIMELESS PROVERBS

Then there are the timeless proverbs, the detti calabresi for every day, to laugh, to commiserate, to inspire.

Cu si marita è cuntentu nu iornu, cu ‘mazza u porcu è cuntentu tuttu l’annu.
Chi si sposa è contento per un giorno, chi ammazza un maiale è contento per tutto l’anno.
He who marries is happy for a day, he who kills a pig is happy for the whole year.

Chuckle, chuckle, chortle… Back in the day, a family lucky enough to have a pig would kill the precious beast and the cured meat, sausage and salami would carry them through the year. (See my blogpost: Le Frittole: The Pig Boil.)

Along with the carefully prepared salami, people knew their place in the pecking order, and if your boss told you to do something, even ill-advised, you had to do it.

‘Ttacca u sceccu aundi voli ‘u patruni.
Lega l’asino dove vuole il padrone.
Tie the donkey where the master wants it.

But there was always hope, even in something as simple as a single peapod bursting with peas.

Pisella a coccia…
Bacello pieno di piselli…
Peapod full of peas…

Perhaps this unpretentious detto calabrese with the happy peas sums up the mission of Borgo Croce. An unassuming peapod, when mindfully tended, might just revitalize their village and bring people back with a little paint and a big love of heritage.

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Visit Calabria on one of my SMALL-GROUP TOURS and hear some proverbi calabresi first hand!

Read more the fascinating Calabrian region in my book Calabria: The Other Italy, described by Publisher’s Weeklyas “an intoxicating blend of humor, joy, and reverence for this area in Italy’s deep south,” and explore Calabria’s northern neighbor in my book Basilicata: Authentic Italy, “recommended to readers who appreciate all things Italian” by the Library Journal.

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CALABRIA: The Other Italy and BASILICATA: Authentic Italy make great gifts!