Monday, October 13, 2008

Giuseppe Ungaretti, by Serena Maffia
..
The Selected Poems, Bilingual Edition by Giuseppe Ungaretti is
almost due back to the library, and I've already renewed it once!
I might just have to break down and buy myself a copy. So, before
I have to return it, here's another of his wonderful poems. I thought
this one would be especially appropriate to coincide with the full
October moon and it is one that translates nicely into English.



I was always ready for departures.

When you have secrets, night, you're merciful.

When as a child I woke up
Startled, I'd soothe myself listening
To howlings in the hollow street--
Stray dogs. More than the little lamp
That burned forever in that room
Near the Madonna, they seemed
Like mystical company.

And was it not in chasing
Echos from before my birth,
I surprised myself with hear, a man?

But when, night, your face was bare
And cast on rock
I was nothing but fiber, elemental,
Crazed, apparent in every object,
Lowliness crushed me.

The Captain was serene.

(The moon came into the sky)

He was tall and never bowed.


The Captain, 1929
Giuseppe Ungaretti
translated by Andrew Frisardi


25 comments:

  1. Ahhh... I feel so relaxed after reading that lovely poem!

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  2. I've enjoyed his poems you've showcased--I was not familiar with him prior to your introduction--thanks!! Wonderful photos and moody, lovely post, Willow!

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  3. Gosh, what a moving poem yesterday -just got a chance to read it now.
    And excellent cemetery pictures.
    Seems to be that melancholy poems are in the air.

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  4. Ouah !
    Lady Willow, the text is lovely...
    And very nice photos and pictures...
    See You later.

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  5. Ah yes, 'the captain was serene, never bowed' ...how many of us can say that?
    Great choice of photos to illustrate.

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  6. Stopped by to say hello. Nice pictures and poem.

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  7. I really enjoyed that poem. You always have the neatest things on your posts!

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  8. Those pictures are so very perfect with the poem...just like you took them straight from the book. I agree with Marie...I'm all relaxed now.....aaaaah....

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  9. The harvest moon images you are using are so magical, especially the one on the sidebar.

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  10. Willow,
    Aye, the harvest moon of October opens the heart to let our poetry loose on the world...nothing more beautiful or soothing.
    Add a perfect autumn day in the cemetery and the muse can not contain herself.
    I'll have to post one of my weekend cemetery photos today too.
    rel

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  11. *SWOON*...thank you for sharing this Willow...Something to add to my reading list! :o)

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  12. Thanks for sharing some of his poems. The portrait is marvelous.

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  13. Oh that is gorgeous. Yes I think you do need to add this book to your personal library. Wow.

    Do you write poetry, Willow?

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  14. Reya, as you can tell, I adore poetry. I have written a little mediocre poetry myself and posted one some time back.

    http://willowmanor.blogspot.com/2008/07/sleeping-in-church.html

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  15. Lovely art today, Willow! And I do like his poems. Thank you for the introduction.

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  16. Lovely poem. Don't know his work so shall order it at the library.

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  17. Willow, there is a little tribute to you on my blog. If you don't like it, you can aways disassociate yourself from it.

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  18. Arija! What a wonderful surprise! I'm so honored. I posted your photo and a link to the poem on my sidebar. It's so very lovely. Thank you so much, dear friend!

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  19. Willow dear, you are a gem. I hope you know that!
    xx

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  20. Willow - thanks for the oasis in the middle of a fast forward day!

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  21. I am so loving seeing the fall photos on your blog. I miss it since moving to Houston...

    I thought of you when I wrote this post, so will include the link. I keep three blogs and write every day on them so please stop by the others if you're so inclined. You may know about this film but just in case... it's just too terriffic to not know about.

    http://lookyhereu.blogspot.com/

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  22. love the poem. and, i also love the photo of the harvest moon!!!

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  23. Magical. The poem, the images and above all, the mood and atmosphere.

    Enough written. I shall write no more.

    Greetings from London.

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  24. The full October moon has been peeking in my bedroom window and waking me up this week.

    I loved this poem! What great photos, too!

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  25. Wonderful!...The icon with candle photo os perfect.

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Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)