A day at the post office, bank, library, and passport office: with this song, you learn the words and phrases for standing in line, filling out a form, signing, and speaking with the clerk at the counter.
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Ho un grande pacco e una lettera qui
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I have a big package and a letter here
Voglio spedirli proprio così
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I want to send them just like this
Faccio la fila, prendo il biglietto
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I make the line, I take the ticket (more naturally: I stand in line and take a number)
Compro i francobolli per il mio pacchetto
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I buy the stamps for my little package
Allo sportello, io mi fermo qua
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At the counter, I stop here
Parlo con l'impiegato con serenità
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I speak with the clerk with serenity (more naturally: I talk calmly with the clerk)
Dammi il foglio, la firma farò
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Give me the sheet, the signature I will make (more naturally: Give me the paper, I will sign it)
Tutti questi uffici io visiterò
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All these offices I will visit (more naturally: I will visit all of these offices)
Vado alla banca, mi serve la carta
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I go to the bank, the card is needed to me (more naturally: I go to the bank, I need a card)
Aprire un conto, io parto in quarta
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To open an account, I start in fourth (an idiom referring to fourth gear in a car, meaning to start at full speed or with great enthusiasm)
Mostro il documento e un po' di contante
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I show the document and a bit of cash (more naturally: I show my ID and some cash)
Il signore alla cassa è molto elegante
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The gentleman at the cash desk is very elegant (more naturally: The man at the teller window is very elegant)
Allo sportello, io mi fermo qua
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At the counter, I stop here
Parlo con l'impiegato con serenità
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I speak with the clerk with serenity (more naturally: I talk calmly with the clerk)
Dammi il foglio, la firma farò
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Give me the sheet, the signature I will make (more naturally: Give me the paper, I will sign it)
Tutti questi uffici io visiterò
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All these offices I will visit (more naturally: I will visit all of these offices)
Vado in biblioteca a rendere il libro
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I go to the library to return the book
In questo silenzio io quasi vibro
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In this silence I almost vibrate
Do la mia tessera alla signora
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I give my membership card to the lady
Voglio leggere un'altra mezz'ora
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I want to read another half hour (more naturally: I want to read for another half hour)
La coda è lunga, si aspetta da un po'
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The tail is long, one waits for a bit (more naturally: The queue is long, we have been waiting for a while)
Devo star calmo, io resisterò
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I must stay calm, I will resist (more naturally: I have to stay calm, I will hold on)
Tengo i miei fogli con molta cura
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I hold my sheets with much care (more naturally: I hold my papers very carefully)
Ma c'è un mare di scartoffie da far paura!
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But there is a sea of paperwork to make fear! (more naturally: But there is a terrifyingly huge amount of red tape!)
Il mio passaporto lo devo rifare
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My passport I must redo it (more naturally: I have to renew my passport)
Un grande modulo da compilare
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A big form to fill out
Rispondo a tutto e pago la tassa
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I answer to everything and I pay the fee
L'ufficio è pieno, la gente non passa
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The office is full, the people do not pass (more naturally: The office is crowded, people can't get through)
Allo sportello, io mi fermo qua
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At the counter, I stop here
Parlo con l'impiegato con serenità
--:--
I speak with the clerk with serenity (more naturally: I talk calmly with the clerk)
Dammi il foglio, la firma farò
--:--
Give me the sheet, the signature I will make (more naturally: Give me the paper, I will sign it)
Tutti questi uffici io visiterò
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All these offices I will visit (more naturally: I will visit all of these offices)
I make the line, I take the ticket (more naturally: I stand in line and take a number)
Comproifrancobolliperilmiopacchetto
I buy the stamps for my little package
Allosportello, iomifermoqua
At the counter, I stop here
Parloconl'impiegatoconserenità
I speak with the clerk with serenity (more naturally: I talk calmly with the clerk)
Dammiilfoglio, lafirmafarò
Give me the sheet, the signature I will make (more naturally: Give me the paper, I will sign it)
Tuttiquestiufficiiovisiterò
All these offices I will visit (more naturally: I will visit all of these offices)
Vadoallabanca, miservelacarta
I go to the bank, the card is needed to me (more naturally: I go to the bank, I need a card)
Aprireunconto, iopartoinquarta
To open an account, I start in fourth (an idiom referring to fourth gear in a car, meaning to start at full speed or with great enthusiasm)
Mostroildocumentoeunpo' dicontante
I show the document and a bit of cash (more naturally: I show my ID and some cash)
Ilsignoreallacassaèmoltoelegante
The gentleman at the cash desk is very elegant (more naturally: The man at the teller window is very elegant)
Allosportello, iomifermoqua
At the counter, I stop here
Parloconl'impiegatoconserenità
I speak with the clerk with serenity (more naturally: I talk calmly with the clerk)
Dammiilfoglio, lafirmafarò
Give me the sheet, the signature I will make (more naturally: Give me the paper, I will sign it)
Tuttiquestiufficiiovisiterò
All these offices I will visit (more naturally: I will visit all of these offices)
Vadoinbibliotecaarendereillibro
I go to the library to return the book
Inquestosilenzioioquasivibro
In this silence I almost vibrate
Dolamiatesseraallasignora
I give my membership card to the lady
Voglioleggereun'altramezz'ora
I want to read another half hour (more naturally: I want to read for another half hour)
Lacodaèlunga, siaspettadaunpo'
The tail is long, one waits for a bit (more naturally: The queue is long, we have been waiting for a while)
Devostarcalmo, ioresisterò
I must stay calm, I will resist (more naturally: I have to stay calm, I will hold on)
Tengoimieifogliconmoltacura
I hold my sheets with much care (more naturally: I hold my papers very carefully)
Mac'èunmarediscartoffiedafarpaura!
But there is a sea of paperwork to make fear! (more naturally: But there is a terrifyingly huge amount of red tape!)
Ilmiopassaportolodevorifare
My passport I must redo it (more naturally: I have to renew my passport)
Ungrandemodulodacompilare
A big form to fill out
Rispondoatuttoepagolatassa
I answer to everything and I pay the fee
L'ufficioèpieno, lagentenonpassa
The office is full, the people do not pass (more naturally: The office is crowded, people can't get through)
Allosportello, iomifermoqua
At the counter, I stop here
Parloconl'impiegatoconserenità
I speak with the clerk with serenity (more naturally: I talk calmly with the clerk)
Dammiilfoglio, lafirmafarò
Give me the sheet, the signature I will make (more naturally: Give me the paper, I will sign it)
Tuttiquestiufficiiovisiterò
All these offices I will visit (more naturally: I will visit all of these offices)
Firmaqui
Sign here
Prendiilnumero
Take the number (more naturally: Take a number)
Allosportello
At the counter
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What it's about
The main character spends the day going from office to office: he sends a parcel and a letter at the post office, opens an account at the bank, returns a book at the library, and renews his passport. There are long lines and lots of paperwork, but he stays calm and polite at the counter.
Useful words and expressions
lo sportello: the counter or window where a clerk serves the public; allo sportello = at the counter
fare la fila / la coda: to wait for one's turn, to stand in line; la coda è lunga
prendere il biglietto / il numero: to take a ticket / number for your turn
il francobollo, il pacco, la lettera, spedire
aprire un conto, la carta (for payment), il contante, la cassa
il documento: an ID document
rendere il libro: to return it; la tessera for the library
il modulo da compilare, pagare la tassa, la firma
partire in quarta: to start off with great energy (like a car starting in fourth gear)
un mare di scartoffie: a sea of boring paperwork; scartoffie is colloquial
da far paura: to an extreme degree, a huge amount
Grammar
Present tense for the day's actions: faccio la fila, compro, mostro, rispondo.
Simple future for promises and intentions: farò, visiterò, resisterò.
Pronoun with the verb: voglio spedirli (li = il pacco e la lettera); lo devo rifare (lo = il passaporto, repeated at the beginning of the sentence for emphasis).
Da + infinitive to indicate something that needs to be done: un modulo da compilare.
Impersonal si: si aspetta da un po' = people have been waiting for a while.
Imperative with tu: dammi, firma, prendi.
Note: poetic license in the song
La firma farò and tutti questi uffici io visiterò invert the word order for the rhyme. In normal speech: firmerò or metterò la firma, and visiterò tutti questi uffici. Also, fare la firma is colloquial: it is better to say mettere la firma or firmare.
Dammi il foglio uses the informal tu. With a clerk, you use the formal Lei: Mi dia il foglio, per favore.
Vado alla banca is correct, but it is more common to say vado in banca.
In questo silenzio io quasi vibro is a poetic image chosen to rhyme with libro, not a common way of speaking.
Aprire un conto, io parto in quarta is a sentence broken up by the rhythm: in normal speech you would say Per aprire un conto parto in quarta.
La gente non passa here means that the line is not moving forward; in normal speech you say la fila non si muove.
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