Ho visto un re [English translation]

"C'mon, c'mon, tell us... Um, well, yes, well..."

"I saw a king." "You saw what?"

"I saw a king!" "Um, well, yes, well..."

"A king in the saddle, crying,

he was crying so many tears, so many that

he was soaking the horse!"

"Poor king!" "And poor horse, too!"

"Um, well, yes, well..."

"It's the emperor who took away from him

a nice castle..." "My, isn't he mean!"

"... one of 32 he owns."

"Poor king!" "And poor horse, too!"

"Um, well, yes, well..."

"I saw a bish..." "You saw what?"

"I saw a bishop!" "Um, well, yes, well..."

"He too, he was crying, he was making such a racket,

he was even biting a hand" "Whose hand?"

"The sacristan's hand!"

"Poor bishop!" "And poor sacristan, too!"

"Um, well, yes, well..."

"It's the cardinal who took away from him

an abbey..." "Oh, poor fellow!"

"... one of 32 he owns."

"Poor bishop!" "And poor sacristan, too!"

"Um, well, yes, well..."

"I saw a ri..." "You saw what?"

"I saw a rich man! A gentleman" "Um, well, yes, well..."

"The poor thing was weeping on a goblet of wine,

and every drop, every drop was falling..." "Into the wine?"

"Yes, he was watering it!"

"Poor thing!" "And poor wine, too!"

"Um, well, yes, well..."

"The bishop, the king, the emperor almost ruined him,

they took away from him three houses and an apartment block

out of 32 he owns."

"Poor thing!" "And poor wine, too!"

"Um, well, yes, well..."

"I saw a peasant" "You saw what?"

"A farmer!" "Um, well, yes, well..."

"The bishop, the king, the rich man, the emperor

even the cardinal, they almost ruined him,

they took away from him:

his house, his farm, his cow

his fiddle, his box of persimmons, his transistor radio

his Little Tony records, his wife!"

"What else?" "His son, for military service,

they even killed his pig..."

"Poor piggy!" "I mean, the actual pig..."

"Um, well, yes, well..."

"But he, he was not crying, rather he was giggling. Hahaha!"

"What, is he crazy?" "No! The fact is that we, the peasants..."

"We, the peasants..."

We have to be happy all the time,

because our tears hurt the king

they hurt the rich man and the cardinal,

they become sad if we cry.

We have to be happy all the time,

because our tears hurt the king

they hurt the rich man and the cardinal,

they become sad if we cry.

• Artist:Enzo Jannacci