I Am Sicily, Thy Mother and Thy Nurse
01. You shall not have any wealth other than my land, my sun and my sea.
02. You shall not mention my name in vain. You shall bring luster to it with your
mind, your efforts and
make certain that others will mention it with admiration
and respect.
03. You shall remember to celebrate the names of your illustrious compatriots,
and always follow the
example they set.
04. You shall honor your friends who live near and those far away. The island shall
always be
hospitable to them. You shall be aware of false friends and detest
your enemies.
05. You shall not kill, for envy or partisan spirit, your brother's worthy initiative. You
shall support them
instead with all your heart. The good of a single is the good
of all: it is the good fortune of the
Motherland.
06. You shall not commit acts that may dishonor your Sicilian dignity. Be proud but
not arrogant,
sociable but not servile.
07. You shall not steal! Honesty is your tradition, it is a symbol of am ancient
nobility, it is the
certainty of your tomorrow.
08. You shall not lie. The cult of the Truth and Justice shall be the expression of
your civilization.
09. You shall not covet another's land, but shall make the most to exploit with
intellect and your
capital, every obvious resource of your land, if you don't
want a foreigner to come to exploit it and
make you a slave, as in the past.
10. You shall not desire nor envy the wealth and prosperity of other lands near and
far. Sicily is rich in
natural resources which, if exchanged with those of other
people, could satisfy your needs and
make you independent, prosperous and happy.
If, o Sicilian, you follow these precepts, you shall be blest. Only then will you experience the joys of an earthly paradise on your island, finally free and blessed by God.
Taken from Arba Sicula, with the gracious permission of Prof. G. Cipolla.
The Ten Commandments of the Sicilian
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