L'abbigliamento di un fuochista [English translation]

My son, with what eyes,

with what eyes should I look at you

with your trousers that are worn on the back

and those brand new shoes?

Son without a future,

with the eyes of a hunted animal

and those tears on the water's edge

that won't stop.

My son, with one foot still on dry ground

and the other already on the sea,

with a thin jacket to cover yourself

and a handkerchief to wave goodbye

and your money tied to your belt

so that no one can take it from you

people nowadays aren't afraid of anything,

not even to steal.

But mum, they're stealing my life

when they order me to work

for a few bucks in the fire room

below sea level

in this black black ship

which is said to be unsinkable,

in this black black ship

which is said to be unsinkable.

My son, with what eyes

and what sorrow in my heart,

now that the ship has left

and the tugboat is coming back.

My son without chains,

without a shirt1, the way you were born

on this evil Atlantic Ocean,

my son, already forgotten.

My son, you had everything

and you needed nothing else

and now you're going to confund your face

with other people's faces

and you will most likely get married

in an American brothel,

and you'll have children with a strange woman,

[children] who won't speak Italian.

But mum, to be honest

I don't know what Italian is

and even if I go halfway across the world

I know little about geography

in this black black ship

which is said to be unsinkable,

in this black black ship

which is said to be unsinkable.

1. "nato con la camicia" (born with a shirt) means born lucky