Copyright (C) 2007 by Ermes Culos.
Il Vanzeli di Mateo
(The Gospel of Matthew)
Friulian Translation
by
Ermes Culòs
Copyright Ermes Culòs. All rights reserved 2007
Introductory Note
In a scene of the 1993 film Being Human, RobinWilliams, in the guise of a sort of everyman, encounters andfalls deeply in love with a young woman (Anna Galiena)somewhere in the European Alps. Nothing unusual in that: ithappens all the time. The relationship is made somewhatunusual by the fact that the woman speaks a language hedoes not understand. The point made in that scene is thatlove transcends language barriers. Nothing particularly oddin that, either. What is truly remarkable is that the moviechose to use a language thatexcept for its sweet soundswould be sure to be total gibberish to audiences everywhere.The chosen language was Friulian.
Now it is not true that Friulian is unintelligible to everyone.In fact, it is understood by perhaps several hundred thousandpeople in the northeasternmost corner of Italy, known asFriuli. What is true is that the number of people whoactually speak the language appears to be diminishingandfast. There is an evolutionary process at work that is notkind to small languages like Friulian: they tend to begobbled up by the much bigger and successful languageslike Italian. My translation of The Gospel of Matthew,therefore, can be seen as an attempt, even if very small, toslow down or delay a process that may ultimately beinevitable. Much the same can be said of my othertranslations.
But my translation of this Gospel goes beyond that. It is anattempt to answer an intriguing question. Jesus and thepeople who followed him were simple people and spoke thelanguage of simple people, of fishermen and vineyardworkers. We can grant that the language of most translationsof the Gospel of Matthewand indeed of the whole Bibleis simple enough; but we all know that its simplicity has theextraordinary elegance that speaks of sophistication. TheKing James version is not the only one to fit that category.
Friulian, insteadespecially the Friulian of my translation(used in some of the poetry of Pasolini)is truly thelanguage of the people: tillers of the soil, vineyardworkersthat sort. What better way can there therefore beto know how Jesus and his disciples truly expressedthemselves than to hear them speak in the simple, lowlyFriulian?
I like to think that my translation offers that opportunity.
Ermes Culòs
Ashcroft
February 2007
Pronunciation guide for readers of Friulian
(This guide is of particular importance because the Friulianused in this translation is Western Friulian, which is in someways significantly different from the more broadly used andunderstood Eastern Friulian.)
Guida a la pronuncja dai vocàbujuàs ta chista tradusiòn
Vocàls:
Li vocals a vàn pronuncjàdis coma ches dal taliàn. Lacèntvièrt ( ` ) al è uàtdi sòlit par indicà la sìlaba ca risèiflacènt naturàl da la peràula o pur par indicà significàsdiferèns da la peràula, coma par eèmpli nòta e notà.Li règulis dal acènt ta la parlada di Cjaarsa no si sònencjamò critaliàdis in ta una maniera unica e consistenta.Una regula ca sta cjapànt piè, peròe che jò i ui (cuncualchi ecesiòn, coma ta malora e salàlu) ta chistatradusiòna è chista:Lacènt gràfic al vèn uàt in ta chiscju caus, ca fòrmin lamagjoransa da li peràulis:Ta dùtis li peràulis plànis ca f