Ol mé leròi

A l’và gran bé; però de tat in tat
a l’gh’à ‘l maledèt vésse de fermàs;
ma dòpo de ìl sgürlìt e sbaciocàt
per dés menücc, a l’turna amò a ‘nviàs
e l’fila alégher piö d’öna mès’ura,
restando ‘ndré però quase ü quàrt d’ura.

La ràgia di segóncc la và ‘mpó stórta
e ‘n del girà la sfréga söl quadrànt,
ma l’gh’à öna batida talmènt fórta
che l’par ü mài che l’bate póch distànt
e pò l’te fa capì co la batida
se i rage i è ‘n discésa o i è ‘n salida.

Difati si è ‘n discésa i và ch’i brüsa;
ma quando i rìa töte dò söi sés,
cóme s’i föss pirlade ‘n d’öna büsa,
no i se möv piö e chèsto l’è ü pastés,
che no l’và piö gna chèla picolina
perchè chèla piö lónga a l’la rampina.

Alura mè che gh’daghe öna sgürlida,
picàl quatr o sich vólte cóntra ‘l mür
e, dòpo de ìt smolàt impó la vida
che strèns ol bilancér, mé só sigür
che l’turna amò a vulà cóme ü dirèt
e no l’se fèrma piö fina söi sèt.

De mòdo che se l’cala ü quàrt ai dés
(volendo calcolà töte i fermade)
l’ura giösta l’è… l’öna e vintesés
e a mesdé l’sarèss i trè passade;
e quando che ghe cala ü quàrt ai vòt
a l’sarèss invéce… i öndes e desdòt!

Ma ‘n quanto a precisiù, ve garantésse,
no gh’è ü leròi de chèsto piö perfèt:
e l’sarèss l’ideàl se l’gh’èss mia ‘l vésse
de ülì fermàs tra i sés e mèsa e i sèt;
però, quando l’me scade quàch cambiài,
‘sto ròsto a l’gh’à coràgio d’ fermàs mai.

A l’sènt ol tép e l’cór se gh’è zelàt,
per restà ‘ndré de mat ai prim calùr;
ma ‘n chèsto caso al’tègne registràt.
De nòcc di ólte a sènte ü gran rümùr;
a m’dèsde fò stremìt de sprón-batüt:
a l’è ‘l leròi ch’l’è dré a spacà ‘l menüt!

It works very well, but every now and then
it has the cursed habit of stopping;
but after shaking and jostling it
for ten minutes, it starts again
and runs merrily for more than half an hour,
though it’s almost fifteen minutes slow.

The second hand is a bit crooked
and rubs against the dial as it turns,
but it has such a strong tick
that it sounds like a hammer striking nearby
and then lets you know with each beat
whether the hands are going downhill or uphill.

Indeed, if they’re going downhill, they fly;
but when both reach six,
as if they had fallen into a hole,
they stop completely, and that’s a mess,
and even the little hand won’t move,
because the longer one jams it.

Then I have to give it a shake,
hit it against the wall four or five times;
and after loosening the screw
that tightens the balance wheel, I’m sure
it will start flying again like a bullet
and won’t stop until around seven.

So if it strikes a quarter to ten
(counting all the stops),
the exact time is… one twenty-six,
and at noon it would be… a little past three;
and if it strikes a quarter to eight,
it would be… eleven eighteen!

But in terms of accuracy, I assure you,
there’s no clock more perfect than this one:
and it would be ideal if it didn’t have the habit
of wanting to stop between six-thirty and seven;
however, when one of my bills is due,
this rascal has the courage never to stop.

It senses the time and runs if it’s frozen,
delaying like crazy at the first heat;
but in this case, I keep it recorded.
At night, sometimes I hear a loud noise;
I wake up scared by the pounding:
it’s the clock splitting the minute!