Smetti di girare sempre in tondo
Le parole dolci delle susurrando
Parla forte se vuoi farti sentire
Ma non alzare d’aver perso la Speranza
Bussa alla porta della mia stanza.
A volte sei forte, alter mesto
A volte sei stanco, alter desto
A volte impaviado, nulla può fermarti
A volte basta una parole a disarmarti
A volte anche il sole più cocente ti raggela
A volte cerchi appiglio in una ragnatela.
-Rolf-Dieter Melis
​
Stop spinning always round.
Tell her sweet words: whisper sound.
Speak strong if you want your feelings felt
But don’t raise your voice to leave a welt.
If you feel your hope is fallen
Knock and my door shall open.
Once strong now melancholic
Once wan now apt to frolic
Once fearless, nothing can stop you
Once a word is enough to disarm you
Once the sun scorches but you freeze
Once you circle foot-fixed, spiderweb seized.
* * *
Nebbia
​
Qui il traffico oscilla
sospeso alla luce
dei semafori quieti.
Io vengo in parte
ove s’infolta la città
e un fiato d’alti forni la trafuga.
Chiedo al cuore una voce, mi sovrasta
un assiduo rumore
di fabbriche fonde, di magli.
E il tempo piega all’inverno.
Io batto le strade
che ai giorni delle volpi gentili
autunno di feltri verdi fioriva,
i viali celesti al dopopioggia.
Al segno di luce si libera il passo
e indugia l’anno, su queste contrade.
S’illumina a uno svolto un effimero sole,
un cespo di mimose
nella bianchissima nebbia.
-Vittorio Sereni
Fog
How the traffic flows
To be suspended by the beam
Of a quiet stoplight.
To a street I come
Where the city’s air thickens
And yet rises on the breath of buildings’ heat.
To my heart I turn to ask a silent question
Yet an outside voice drowns it,
A persistent noise
Of deep factories,
And descending hammers.
I beat along the streets
While enfolding time begins its winter embrace
Over days where the genteel foxes
Bloom autumn green felt
Along sky-cloud avenues after the rain.
As the light’s relenting signal frees the passing footsteps
The year lingers over these boulevards,
The ephemeral sun shining on a curve,
On a tuft of dandelions,
In the silver-whitening fog.
​
​
* * *
Il silenzio prende appunti
sul nostro corpo.
La primavera è lontana.
La tua bocca
è una rondina in lutto
-Franco Arminio
Silence makes it mark
on our body.
Spring lies far-off.
Your mouth
is a swallow in mourning.
​
* * *
​
​
Un soneto a Cervantes
​
Horas de pesadumbre y de tristeza
paso en mi soledad. Pero Cervantes
es buen amigo. Endulza mis instantes
ásperos, y reposa mi cabeza.
Él es la vida y la naturaleza,
regala un yelmo de oros y diamantes
a mis sueños errantes.
Es para mí: suspira, ríe y reza.
Cristiano y amoroso y caballero
parla como un arroyo cristalino.
¡Así le admiro y quiero,
viendo cómo el destino
hace que regocije al mundo entero
la tristeza inmortal de ser divino!
-Rubén Darío
​
A Sonnet to Cervantes
​
Hours of anxiety and sadness
Pass in my solitude. But Cervantes
Is a good friend. He sweetens my moments
Rough, and my brain relaxes.
​
He is life and its natures,
He gifts a helmet of gold and diamonds
To my dreaming errants.
He is to me: He sighs, he laughs, he recites
​
Christian, Knight and lover,
He speaks like a crystal river.
How I love him and admire!
​
Coming like destiny to conquor
He causes the world to rejoice all over
For being divine, the sadness to live forever!
​
* * *
Echo and I
​
Eco, divina y desnuda
como el diamante del agua,
mi musa estos versos fragua
y necesita tu ayuda,
pues, sola, peligros teme,
!Heme!
Tuve en momentos distantes,
antes,
que amar los dulce cabellos
bellos,
de la ilusión que primera
era,
en mi alcázar andaluz
luz,
en mi palacio de moro
oro,
en mi mansión dolorosa
rosa,
Se apagó como una estrella
ella.
Deja, pues, que me contriste
¡Triste!
¡Se fue el instante opotuno!
¡Tuno!
¿Por qué, si era yo suave
ave,
que sobre el haz de la tierra
yerra
y el reposo de la rama
ama?
Guióme por varios senderos
Eros,
mas no se portó tan bien
en
esquivarme los risueños
sueños,
que hubieran dado a mi vida
ida,
menos crueles mordeduras
duras.
Mas hoy el duelo aún me acosa
¡osa!
¡Osar, si el dolor revuela!
¡Vuela!
Tu voz ya no me convence
vence.
¡La suerte errar me demanda!
Anda.
Mas de ilusión las simientes...
¡Mientes!
¿Y ante la desesperanza?
Esperanza.
Y hacia el vasto porvenir
ir
Tu acento es bravo, aunque seco,
eco,
Sigo, pues, mi rumbo errante
ante
los ojos de las rosadas
hadas.
Gusté de Amor hidromieles
mieles
probé de Horacio divino,
vino;
entretejí en mis delirios
lirios.
Lo fatal con sus ardientes
dientes
apretó mi conmovida
vida;
mas me libró en toda parte
arte.
Lista está a partir mi barca
arca
do va mi gala suprema.
Rema.
Un blando mar se consigue.
Sigue.
La aurora rosas reparte.
¡Parte!
¡Y a la ola que te admira
mira,
y a la sirena que encanta
canta!
​
-Rubén Darío
​
Echo and I
​
Echo, naked and divine,
Like a diamond from a river-mine,
My muse forges these lines,
And needs your design.
Alone she fears the danger...
I am here!
I had in moments afar…
And before,
Loved the sweet, fair...
hair,
That at first vision…
had been:
In my Andalusian stronghold…
Gold;
In my Spanish castle-heights…
Lights;
In my painful mansion…
A carnelian.
She twinkled afar…
A star.
Now she's gone, I harrow…
To the marrow!
She left when it was easiest…
An opportunist!
Why am I not untethered…
A bird
Who over the face of the world…
Whirls
And the repose of boughs…
Loves?
Cupid guided me away…
Down highways,
But he did not lead as good…
as he could.
He avoided the beams…
Of my dreams
That would have given my existence…
a distance
without cruel, strains…
Of pain.
But now, wounds my body tear…
Dare!
Dare? For the pain to come back by?
Fly!
Your voice could be surer…
Conquer.
Failing luck haunts me so!
Go!
But the seeds of illusion…
Deception!
And before the hopelessness?
-Hopefulness!
And to the limitless future?
Go further.
Your tongue is brave, though weakening.
Echoing.
I follow, then, my course, wandering…
Before
The eyes of the enchanting poses
Roses.
I tasted Love’s honey-waters,
Honey;
I tried Horace’s divine,
Wine;
I wove in my delusions,
Irises.
Fate with his ardent
Teeth
Fixed on my unquiet
Life.
But he freed in all ways,
My art.
My boat is ready to leave,
The vessel
Which goes to my ultimate feast.
-Row!
A docile sea is met.
Follow!
The pink dawn spreads itself.
Go!
And to the wave that regards you?
Look.
And to the siren who loves?
Sing!
​
​
​