Night in Town is a Pocket that has Been Turned Inside Out
Erri DeLuca is a naepolitan writer with a gift for vivid metaphors.
In this short description, taken from his novel The day Before Happiness, we get to smell, taste, listen, watch, and feel what nights where like in post-war Naples.
And we gather that night was everything the day was not.
In his words “Night in Town is a Pocket that has Been Turned Inside Out”.
Alberico Collina
“The city is beautiful at night. There is danger but also freedom. In the streets roam those without sleep, artists, murderers, players, and the taverns, the fry-up kitchens, and the cafes are open. Among those who live by night, you greet each other, you get to know each other. People forgive your vices. Daylight accuses while the darkness of the night confers absolution. The transformed, men dressed as women because that is what nature tells them, can come out and nobody bothers them. No one asks you to explain yourself at night. It’s when the maimed, the blind, and the clubfooted come out, having been rejected during the day. Night in town is a pocket that has been turned inside out. Even dogs come out, those without homes. They wait for the night to find scraps, these dogs manage to survive without anyone looking after them. At night, the town is a civilized place.”
(from The Day Before Happiness by Erri DeLuca – my translation)
The original (in Italian)
“È bella di notte la città. C'è pericolo ma pure libertà. Ci girano quelli senza sonno, gli artisti, gli assassini, i giocatori, stanno aperte le osterie, le friggitorie, i caffè. Ci si saluta, ci si conosce, tra quelli che campano di notte. Le persone perdonano i vizi. La luce del giorno accusa, lo scuro della notte dà l'assoluzione. Escono i trasformati, uomini vestiti da donna, perché così gli dice la natura e nessuno li scoccia. Nessuno chiede di conto di notte. Escono gli storpi, i ciechi, gli zoppi, che di giorno vengono respinti. È una tasca rivoltata, la notte nella città. Escono pure i cani, quelli senza casa. Aspettano la notte per cercare gli avanzi, quanti cani riescono a campare senza nessuno. Di notte la città è un paese civile.”
(Il giorno prima della felicità di Erri DeLuca)
Erri DeLuca is a naepolitan writer with a gift for vivid metaphors.
In this short description, taken from his novel The day Before Happiness, we get to smell, taste, listen, watch, and feel what nights where like in post-war Naples.
And we gather that night was everything the day was not.
In his words “Night in Town is a Pocket that has Been Turned Inside Out”.
Alberico Collina
“The city is beautiful at night. There is danger but also freedom. In the streets roam those without sleep, artists, murderers, players, and the taverns, the fry-up kitchens, and the cafes are open. Among those who live by night, you greet each other, you get to know each other. People forgive your vices. Daylight accuses while the darkness of the night confers absolution. The transformed, men dressed as women because that is what nature tells them, can come out and nobody bothers them. No one asks you to explain yourself at night. It’s when the maimed, the blind, and the clubfooted come out, having been rejected during the day. Night in town is a pocket that has been turned inside out. Even dogs come out, those without homes. They wait for the night to find scraps, these dogs manage to survive without anyone looking after them. At night, the town is a civilized place.”
(from The Day Before Happiness by Erri DeLuca – my translation)
The original (in Italian)
“È bella di notte la città. C'è pericolo ma pure libertà. Ci girano quelli senza sonno, gli artisti, gli assassini, i giocatori, stanno aperte le osterie, le friggitorie, i caffè. Ci si saluta, ci si conosce, tra quelli che campano di notte. Le persone perdonano i vizi. La luce del giorno accusa, lo scuro della notte dà l'assoluzione. Escono i trasformati, uomini vestiti da donna, perché così gli dice la natura e nessuno li scoccia. Nessuno chiede di conto di notte. Escono gli storpi, i ciechi, gli zoppi, che di giorno vengono respinti. È una tasca rivoltata, la notte nella città. Escono pure i cani, quelli senza casa. Aspettano la notte per cercare gli avanzi, quanti cani riescono a campare senza nessuno. Di notte la città è un paese civile.”
(Il giorno prima della felicità di Erri DeLuca)
RSS Feed
