Giuseppe Borrello (1820–1894) was an Italian poet, who wrote mainly in Sicilian, and was an Italian patriot.

Borrello was born and died in Catania.

The son of a bailiff of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, he lost both parents in 1837 when Catania was experiencing a cholera epidemic. During the epidemic he was invested with exceptional powers by the Bourbon, but was relieved of his duties when his liberal ideas became known.

During the popular revolts of 1848 he was among the main provocateurs in Catania, and after the Bourbons restored power he had to retreat to Malta to escape the subsequent repression. In 1855 he had a collection of poems printed in Sicilian. He signed himself in Sicilian as Puddu Burreddu.[1]

During the Risorgimento in 1860 he joined the volunteers following the Expedition of the Thousand and in Garibaldi's forces reached the rank of Major.

After his military service he became chancellor of the Court of Caltagirone[2] and then conciliatory judge.

He died at age seventy-four and the news of his death was given by his disciple Nino Martoglio.

In the June 24 issue of his periodical "D'Artagnan," Martoglio wrote, "He was my master, esteemed and revered... From him I learned to love the suave and harsh dialect full of love and hate, your name will always have an altar in my heart. Farewell!"

The City of Catania dedicated a street to him.

An anthology of his poems is simply entitled: Puisii Siciliani (Sicilian Poems).

Example

The following short poem pays homage to the renowned Chestnut Tree of One Hundred Horses:[3]

Sicilian English
Un pedi di castagna A chestnut tree
tantu grossu was so large
ca ccu li rami so' forma un paracqua   that its branches formed a shelter
sutta di cui si riparò di l'acqua, under which refuge was sought from the rain
di fùrmini, e saitti from thunder bolts and flashes of lightning
la riggina Giuvanna by Queen Joanne
ccu centu cavaleri, with a hundred knights,
quannu ppi visitari Mungibeddu when on her way to Mt Etna
vinni surprisa di lu timpurali. was taken by surprise by a fierce storm.
D'allura si chiamò From then on so was it named
st'àrvulu situatu 'ntra 'na valli this tree nestled in a valley and its courses
lu gran castagnu d'i centu cavalli. the great chestnut tree of one hundred horses.


Works

  • Puisii Siciliani, Tipografia dei Fratelli Giuntini, Catania, 1855
  • Li funerali a lu chiuppu di S. Maria di Gesù : elegia vernacula, Galatola, Catania, 1860

References

  1. ↑ The name of author in the cover of his book was in sicilian language
  2. ↑ Gazzetta Ufficiale del Regno d'Italia, N. 154 del 3 Luglio 1883 p. 6.
  3. ↑ "Poesie sul Castagno dei Cento Cavalli". (Sicilian) Catania Natura. Dipartimento di Botanica, University of Catania. Archived from the original on 2007-09-18. Retrieved 2006-12-22.

Bibliografy

  • Enciclopedia di Catania di Autori Vari Diretta da Vittorio Consoli, ed. Tringale Edizione, 1987 (Vol. 1 pp. 112-113)
  • Un decennio di cospirazione in Catania (1850-1860): Con carteggi e documenti, Giannotta, 1907
  • Giuseppe Borrello, Poesie siciliane, Catania, Spampinato & Sgroi, 1923.


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