Gli assicurava che si sarebbero rivisti, “dopo”,
che mi lasciavi guardare per cronometrare le uova.
** ** **
Interurbana
II
Per quanto mia madre fosse morta da due anni
papà teneva le sue pantofole a scaldare sul fornello,
put his side of the bed and the boule
renewed a bus pass.
You could not make him a sudden, you had to experience.
It took an hour to have time to remove
of things around her and only
seem as if his bitter love was a crime.
He could not risk a clash with my disbelief, as
sure to hear at any moment
turn the key in the lock rusted and free from pain.
She knew that she was only out for a moment to buy tea.
I believe life ends with death, and that's it.
not you come out to shop both;
but the new black leather notebook there's your name and number removed
still call.
(by: Tony Harrison, "V and other poems', Einaudi)
Translation: Massimo Bacigalupo
** ** **
Under the clock under the clock in Lower Briggate Dyson
you would meet my boyfriends parents. There was a
Father Time and Tempus Fugit
protruding from the side street
the windows with bars full of wedding rings, along with the names accounted
'forever', like that of
dad felt when we held hands ,
o quella al dito della mamma che si sgretolava nelle fiamme della cremazione.
Oggi di nuovo sul Briggate mi sono fermato e ho visto
le lancette rosse su XII e V Romani
quegli amanti non si incontreranno mai più lì sotto,
felice di incurvarmi Padre Tempo e sopravvivo.
Vedo la falce, la clessidra, le ali,
il latino che mi chiedevi con orgoglio di tradurre
e penso alle scatoline con i vostri anelli,
sotto l’orologio per continuare i nostri appuntamenti.
** ** **
Il mangiafuoco
Mio padre parlava come quei maghi che I had seen
get scarves, flags, scarves,
mouth: red, blue, green ...
The colors were so many that I would have suffocated.
His older brother had a terrible stammer.
Dad ended sentences with "but ...".
rougher stuff of silk extracted grammar
That had all tangled in the belly.
Their performances I try to repeat them. I'm the clown
mandate to empty the track.
Their tongues of fire I have to swallow
tied to spit out in a single fuse that ignites
to long silences, and goes back to Adam
stumble over names of Genesis,
and as far as my vocal chords end up burnt,
there will be a steady hand from the flames.
From: Tony Harrison, Queued for Charon, Einaudi, 2003.
Translation: Massimo Bacigalupo
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