This work took part of a show exhibited in Palazzo Abatellis during MAy- August 2022 curated by Valentina Bruschi Supported by Planets, Sicila.
‘Journey XII’, exhibited today in what used to be the chapel of the ‘Convento Della Pietà’ in Palazzo Abatellis, is a sound composition echoing, through its solemn choral singing, the site’s previous life as a sacred place.
This piece, sung in ‘Mediterranean Lingua Franca’, is a dialogue between travellers at sea, bringing back to life the sounds spoken in Palermo, and more widely in the Mediterranean between the 11th and the 19th century. This unique language, being exclusively oral, was a common language spoken around the Mediterranean ports and based on Italian, Catalan, Spanish,
Portuguese as well as Berber, Turkish, French, Greek and Arabic. It originated in the Eastern Mediterranean area, and was used mainly for sailing, trading, commerce and diplomacy; it was also current among migrants, European renegades and pirates.
The language, also known as ‘Lingua Del Mare’ (The Language of the sea) then migrated to Sicily and north Africa, continuing to represent and articulate the co-existence and co-operation of many different cultures and identities in the Mediterranean, and in Sicily in particular.
Sung text, Vocal Ensemble:
-1-
'Sentir, Sentir per mi?’
'Mi sentir bonu.’
‘Mi capir un poco per ti.’
-2-
“Cosa ti ablar?’
‘Responder de mi’
“Di que paise estar?’
‘Responder de mi.’
“Unde ti venir?’
‘Que hablar en citta?’
‘Ove tu andar?’
‘Responder de mi.’
'Mi venir del mare,
mi andar al mare.’
‘Dio grande, no pigllar fantesia.’
‘Si estar scripto in testa,
andar, andar.’
‘Si no, aca morir.’
-3-
“Fazir vento.’
‘Ostro levanti:
Fazir fredo.’
‘Nave estar alla vela,
mainar, mainar!’
‘Bandiera arriva.’
-4-
‘Molto tempo ti non mirato, amigo.’
‘Genti [h]ablar, genti [h]ablar.’
‘Non venir encora il journo Sancto di vos autros?’
’Questa star ultima casa fora de casa’
-5-
’Se ti sabir,
mi comprendir, mi comprendir.’
‘Se no sabir,
tazir tazir.’
____________*English version below_________________________________________________
-1-
‘Listen. Do you listen to me?’
‘I hear well,’
‘I understand a bit.’
-2-
‘What do you speak?’
‘Answer me.’
‘From what country are you?’
‘Answer me.’
‘Where do you come from?’
‘What do they say in town?’
‘Where do you go?’
‘Answer me.’
‘I am coming from the sea,
I am going to the sea.’
‘It is destiny, do not be stubborn. [The world is such]:
‘If it's written on your forehead for you to go,
you will go.’
‘If not, you will die here.’
-3-
‘It is windy.’
‘Ostro (South wind) Levant (east wind):
It is cold.’
‘The ship is under sail,
furl, furl!’
‘Hoisted flag,12’
-4-
‘Long time I didn’t see you, friend.’
‘Let us speak.’
‘Hasn't your holy day come yet?’
‘This is [my] last home away from home.’
-5-
‘If you know it,
You’ll understand me.’
‘If you don’t know,
Keep quiet, be silent.’
____________*Italian version below_________________________________________________
-1-
“Senti. Mi senti?”
“Sento bene.”
“Capisco un pò.” ‘
-2-
“Cosa parli?”
“Rispondimi”
“Da che paese vieni? “
“Rispondimi”
“Da dove vieni?”
“Cosa dicono in città?”
“Dove vai?”
“Rispondimi”
“Vengo dal mare,
Vado al mare.”
“È il destino, non essere testardo.” [il mondo è tale]:
“Se è scritto sulla tua fronte,
andare, andare.”
“Sennò qui morirai.”
-3-
“C’è vento”
“Ostro levante:
Fa freddo.”
“La nave va a vela,
Ammainare, ammainare!”
“Issata la bandiera, 12.”
-4-
“E’ molto tempo che non ti vedo, amico.”
“Parliamo.”
“Non è ancora arrivato il vostro giorno santo?”
“Questa è [la mia] ultima casa lontano da casa”
-5-
“Se lo sai,
mi capirai, mi capirai.”
“Se non lo sai
taci, taci.“