Porta Portese [English translation]

1

It’s Sunday morning, the market has already woken up,

I’ve come back on my leave and here I am,

to buy myself some jeans instead of this uniform,

and tonight I will give her a surprise.

There’s the old woman with pictures of Pope John on her stall,

she’s been here for forty years, maybe more,

and her eyes have seen kings, poor sods, rich people and clerks,

hippies, thieves, artists, and sons of a… (and sons of a…)

Porta Portese. Porta Portese.

Porta Portese, what is it that makes you such a beautiful place?2

I plough through the heavy throng using my elbows,

through the baubles that guy dumps on you, he has a bit of everything:

car parts, ancient swords, fake paintings

and the picture of a naked Brigitte Bardot. (Brigitte Bardot)3

Porta Portese. Porta Portese.

Porta Portese, what is it that makes you such a beautiful place?

Those trousers are all tattered, alright, it’s second-hand stuff,

but who knows how many people will have worn it; how much are they?

That girl, it’s not possible that it’s her together with another guy;

that’s surely not her brother,

and she chose him really handsome;

I’ve been taken in like a sucker.

«Hey, boy, what happened? And these trousers, do you want them or not?»

Porta Portese. Porta Portese.

Porta Portese, what is it that makes you like this?

Porta Portese. Porta Portese.

Porta Portese, what is it that makes you such a beautiful place?

Porta Portese. Porta Portese.

Porta Portese, what is it that makes you such a beautiful place?

«Fleur de sel.4

Love makes you suffer, but you don’t die.

You can’t die of love, but it can hurt.»

«I love you.»

«Do you really mean it or not?»

«Hurry, or you’ll miss the train.»

«With all my love.»

«You womanizer, you’re so pitiful.»

«Lost sheep.»

…

1. Porta Portese is a gate of Rome, where is a famous flea market is held on Sundays.2. Literally "what will you have more [than other places]?", meaning "what is so special about you [this place], which makes you so much better than anywhere else?".3. Brigitte Bardot is a French actress, singer, and sex symbol from the 1950s-60s.4. Literally "flower of salt", also referring to the fact that "flower" is a metaphor often associated to love.