March Madness in the Italian Language

 

Marzo Pazzerello 

Crazy March 

In English we say that March comes in like a lion and leaves like a lamb. Italians say the same: "Marzo pazzerello (crazy March) arriva da leone e se ne va come un agnello."  Marzo (named for Mars, the god of war) has always had a reputation for being “pazzo” (crazy). Italians caution, “Arriva marzo pazzerello; esce il sole e prendi l’ombrello!”
(Here comes crazy March; the sun comes out, and you grab your umbrella!)  

Many a March day fa brutto (literally, “makes” ugly weather). On some days piove (it rains). On others fa freddo (it’s cold). How cold? “Il freddo di marzo penetra nel corno del bue,” the saying goes. 
(The cold of March pierces the ox’s horns—or more colloquially, when it’s cold in March, you freeze your bum off.) 


The following weather previsione (forecast) from an Italian newspaper captures the craziness of March's cattivo tempo (bad weather): “Piogge in arrivo!” (Rains are coming!) “Forte maltempo e anche neve da mercoledì a venerdì.“ (Strong bad weather and also snow from Wednesday to Friday.) Residents of northeastern Italy are warned to watch out for “acqua alta a Venezia" (high water in Venice) and a “scirocco eccezionale” (exceptional southeast wind). 

According to folk lore, the last three days of March are called "i giorni della vecchia" (the old lady's days) or "giorni imprestati" (borrowed days). Way back in the time when March had only 28 days, an old woman decided to take her sheep into the fields because, as she declared, March was over and could not torment her with cold any more. Offended by these words, March "borrowed" three days from April and made sure that they chilled the old woman to the bone. 

My favorite March saying bears a happier thought: Vento di marzo, odore di primavera! (Wind of March, smell of Spring!)

Words and Expressions: 

Non c'è marzo così bello senza neve sul cappello -- March is not so beautiful without snow on your hat

Marzo: un sole e un guazzo -- March: a sun and a shower 

Sole di marzo, onda di mare, pianto di donna: non ti fidare  -- March sun, sea wave, crying of a woman: don't trust any of them.

Fine di marzo, primi di aprile, ancora freddo può venire -- End of March, first days of April, more cold can still come

Dianne Hales is the author of LA BELLA LINGUA: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language. 

The perfect way to spend many a March day is to  snuggle al calduccio (into a warm and cozy little place) and listen to a song like “Piove” (“It’s Raining”).

Comments

[Phyllis Ignozza]

Esce il sole = the sun comes out, appears
"Esce il sole e prendi l'ombrello" refers to the changeable and unpredictable weather during March so even though the sun is out, take your umbrella!

[Louis Vuitton handbags]

Ciao, John, I agree with your translation of "esce" as "goes away"--so you need to take your umbrella.

[Andrea Laforgia]

@John Rose:
No, John, it's just the opposite: the sun "exits" the place hidden by the clouds, so it appears. It comes out from behind the clouds. If referred to the sun, the verb "uscire" never means "to go away". Of course, the proverb undelines the craziness of March: the sun appears and you take the umbrella.

[Gabriele]

Nelle mie zone si dice: "marz marzòn trì gràm e 'n bòn" ("marzo marzone tre cattivi e un buono") tanto per sottolineare la proverbiale stabilità del mese di marzo :)

[Dennis Bianchi]

Ciao Dianne,
Sono un studente da Stefania Scotti, una persona che tu conosci bene. Grazie per il tuo articolo, ma piu`, la musica di Alex Britti. Grazie, me anche piacciono i tui articoli,
Dennis Bianchi

[Dianne Hales]

Ciao, John, I agree with your translation of "esce" as "goes away"--so you need to take your umbrella.

BTW all the posts came through. Must have been some sort of March madness at typepad.

Grazie e buon marzo!

[John Rose]

Ciao Dianne,
I am writing regarding the following: “Arriva marzo pazzerello; esce il sole e prendi l’ombrello!”
(Here comes crazy March; the sun comes out, and you grab your umbrella!)
While "esce" can mean "comes out" in the sense of "andare fuori," wouldn't it more likely mean "exits" in the sense of going away, disappearing from view, in the context of the expression becoming hidden by the clouds?
By the way, the first time I tried to post this the permission to post seemed to get hung up at the point of entering the letters and numbers that prevent automated posts. The spinning circle kept spinning and spinning without completing the step.
This is a third attempt to post. The first two were using Safari, so I'm switching to Firefox.
Grazie, me piacciono i tui articoli,
John