European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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The partisans attacked us and we reacted.
The partisans attacked us and we reacted.
lì i partigiani hanno fatto un attacco contro noi militari e dopo è stata una reazione -
The fascists and the snipers came
The fascists and the snipers came
che sono venuti i fascisti e dei bersaglieri, -
and emptied out the village, they killed more than 400 people, shot dead like dogs.
and emptied out the village, they killed more than 400 people, shot dead like dogs.
hanno vuotato il paese e hanno fatto più di 400 morti fucilati come cani. -
That's the truth, and we were around the hills checking if the others were coming.
That's the truth, and we were around the hills checking if the others were coming.
Questa è una cosa che è verità e noi eravamo intorno sulle colline a guardare che non venissero gli altri. -
After this desaster the fascists went away.
After this desaster the fascists went away.
Fatto questo disastro loro sono andati via, -
They had carried away women and children, they brought them to Fiume,
They had carried away women and children, they brought them to Fiume,
che prima avevano portato via le donne e i bambini, portati a Fiume, -
and then they committed this big massacre.
and then they committed this big massacre.
poi fatto questo grande massacro sono andati via -
It was up to us bury the bodies, and so we did.
It was up to us bury the bodies, and so we did.
ed è toccato a noi seppellirli. E li abbiamo seppelliti, -
We threw them all in a hole, covered them with sawdust from the nearby sawmill
We threw them all in a hole, covered them with sawdust from the nearby sawmill
li abbiamo buttati in una buca che era piena di segatura perché lì c’era una grossa segheria -
and then we burned down the village. That was a terribly sad thing we did.
and then we burned down the village. That was a terribly sad thing we did.
e poi abbiamo bruciato il paese: questo è stata una tristezza tremenda che abbiamo fatto. -
Years later I have travelled through Yugoslavia three or four times as a tourist,
Years later I have travelled through Yugoslavia three or four times as a tourist,
Anni dopo io ho fatto la Jugoslavia tre o quattro volte turisticamente -
I knew a little Croatian, I could speak quite well.
I knew a little Croatian, I could speak quite well.
e sapevo anche un po’ parlare, parlavo abbastanza bene, capivo -
I was talking to a bartender, he asked me why I knew the language
I was talking to a bartender, he asked me why I knew the language
e parlavo ad un barista che eravamo lì in compagnia con i turisti e mi hanno chiesto perché parlo il croato -
and I said “I have been here”.
and I said “I have been here”.
e io ho detto “sono stato qua” -
He told me not to speak because the locals had no friendly attitude towards us after what we'd done.
He told me not to speak because the locals had no friendly attitude towards us after what we'd done.
e mi ha detto per piacere di non parlare, di parlare italiano perché qua non ci vedevano bene con i fattacci che abbiamo fatto. -
That's the truth. And don't come tell me that if you go to war you go to help.
That's the truth. And don't come tell me that if you go to war you go to help.
E questa è la verità, che non vengano mica a dire e anche adesso chi è a in guerra non è che vada là ad aiutare: -
Who goes to war goes to do their own business, to do whatever they want, to be the master.
Who goes to war goes to do their own business, to do whatever they want, to be the master.
va là a fare i proprio comodi, a fare il padrone, a fare quello che vuole. Queste cose sono le verità, -
And don't come tell me that the soldier does good … the soldier sucks:
And don't come tell me that the soldier does good … the soldier sucks:
che nessuno mi venga a dire, neanche dei grandi comandanti del mondo che il soldato fa, il soldato fa schifo: -
he fights the war, burns houses, rapes women, just like all of us have done.
he fights the war, burns houses, rapes women, just like all of us have done.
fa la guerra, tribola, brucia le case, violenta anche le donne, come abbiamo fatto un po’ tutti. -
That's the sad truth, that's why I don't want to see war.
That's the sad truth, that's why I don't want to see war.
Queste sono le tristi verità, è per questo che la guerra non la voglio vedere.