| l sangue e? | l blood and? |
| il mio splendore e il mio rifugio
| my splendor and my refuge
|
| Dal profondo degli occhi
| From the bottom of the eyes
|
| mi strapparono la luce e la dolce tiepida notte.
| they snatched the light and the sweet warm night from me.
|
| Ora il lampo del giorno sorge solo dietro la fronte e mi accende due cavita?
| Now does the lightning of day only arise behind my forehead and light up two cavities?
|
| insanguinate.
| bloody.
|
| Nel cavo della mano si spensero i miei occhi ormai incapaci di pianto
| In the hollow of my hand my eyes, now incapable of crying, went out
|
| ridevano alla luce
| they laughed at the light
|
| mentre caldo e denso il sangue stillava tra le dita che il carnefice mi conficco? | while hot and thick blood dripped between the fingers that the executioner stick me? |
| nelle orbite.
| in orbits.
|
| Con ogni forza della mente decisi di contare: nella colonna ero il cinquantesimo avanzavamo come una fila per il pane,
| With every strength of mind I decided to count: in the column I was the fiftieth we were advancing like a line for bread,
|
| una fila che procedeva e si fermava Contavo. | a line that proceeded and stopped Contavo. |
| trentun vittime
| thirty-one victims
|
| e sessantadue colpi di coltello.
| and sixty-two knife strokes.
|
| Un rantolo, una spinta, una caduta un passo ancora.
| A gasp, a push, a fall, one more step.
|
| Un rantolo una spinta una caduta, e il sangue che sgorgava a fiotti.
| A gasp, a push, a fall, and blood gushing out in gushes.
|
| Con ogni forza della mente addizionavo i colpi, sottraevo i caduti,
| With every force of mind I added the blows, I subtracted the fallen,
|
| ogni grido, ogni singulto
| every cry, every sob
|
| mi feriva nel cuore come un morso.
| it hurt my heart like a bite.
|
| Sotto il sole feroce ci falciavano
| Under the fierce sun they mowed us down
|
| come spighe fruscianti:
| like rustling ears:
|
| con suono uguale ci sgorgava il sangue dalle gole recise.
| with the same sound the blood gushed from our severed throats.
|
| La fossa e? | The pit and? |
| colma, la calce e? | fill, the lime and? |
| gettata sui corpi perche? | thrown on the bodies why? |
| i morti non appestino
| the dead do not plague
|
| l’aria.
| the air.
|
| E la fiamma della loro carita?
| And the flame of their charity?
|
| che riscalda i defunti.
| that warms the dead.
|
| Sento i cadaveri che si contraggono mi arrampico, con rabbia istintiva Sento i cadaveri che si contraggono come pesci morti cosparsi di sale.
| I feel the corpses contracting I climb, with instinctive anger I feel the corpses contracting like dead fish sprinkled with salt.
|
| Si smuovevano, mi slittavano addosso, lentamente franavano e quei morti
| They moved, slipped on me, slowly collapsed and those dead
|
| ridevano, piangevano, gridavano e invocavano, furiosamente tendevano le braccia
| they laughed, cried, shouted and cried, furiously they stretched out their arms
|
| cercando di afferrarmi…
| trying to grab me ...
|
| Sentivo le unghie, le ginocchia, i fianchi,
| I could feel the nails, the knees, the hips,
|
| le bocche inquiete su di me.
| the restless mouths on me.
|
| Mi arrampicavo con rabbia istintiva premendo su di loro, sui ventri, sui toraci,
| I climbed with instinctive anger pressing on them, on their bellies, on their chests,
|
| e se ne sprigionavo un rantolo, un gorgoglio, ormai non ne avevo piu? | and if I gave off a rattle, a gurgle, now I didn't have any more? |
| pieta?
| compassion?
|
| e forse calpestavo un mio vicino di casa, forse calpestavo mia sorella morta.
| and maybe I was stepping on a neighbor of mine, maybe I was stepping on my dead sister.
|
| CALPESTAVO MIA SORELLA MORTA
| I WALKED ON MY DEAD SISTER
|
| Ne? | Neither? |
| pianti, ne? | are you crying? |
| risa, ne lamenti, ne canti.
| laugh, moan, sing.
|
| la luna vagante splende sulle rovine,
| the wandering moon shines on the ruins,
|
| il singhiozzo remoto delle fontane tace,
| the distant sobbing of the fountains is silent,
|
| la carogna di un cane giace in mezzo alla strada. | a dog's carrion lies in the middle of the road. |
| il riverbero dei vetri,
| the glare of the glass,
|
| il cigolio di una chiave dentro una vecchia serratura,
| the creaking of a key inside an old lock,
|
| l’odore dell’incendio e in quell’odore ogni ricordo
| the smell of fire and every memory in that smell
|
| le vendemmie e le nozze, un raggio di sole che indora la porta di casa,
| harvests and weddings, a ray of sunshine that gilds the front door,
|
| e le danze, le veglie, i funerali, i lamenti
| and the dances, the vigils, the funerals, the laments
|
| la pace che regna su un secolo spento
| the peace that reigns over an extinct century
|
| cio? | that is? |
| che la vita semina e la morte raccoglie.
| that life sows and death collects.
|
| Prende liberamente spunto dal poema «La fossa» di Ivan Goran Kovac? | Are you freely inspired by Ivan Goran Kovac's poem "La fossa"? |
| ic?
| ic?
|
| con l’unico intento di esaltare la sofferenza, non di condannarla
| with the sole intent of exalting suffering, not condemning it
|
| proprio per questo molte parti dell’originale sono state estromesse
| precisely for this reason many parts of the original have been ousted
|
| English
| English
|
| SPLENDOUR AND DARKNESS
| SPLENDOR AND DARKNESS
|
| Blood is my glory and my refuge
| Blood is my glory and my refuge
|
| From the depths of my eyes
| From the depths of my eyes
|
| they tore out the light and the sweet warm night. | they tore out the light and the sweet warm night. |
| Now the flash of day rises
| Now the flash of day rises
|
| only inside my head and lights two bloody cavities.
| only inside my head and lights two bloody cavities.
|
| In the palm of my hand my eyes were spent no longer able to cry
| In the palm of my hand my eyes were spent no longer able to cry
|
| they laughed at the light
| they laughed at the light
|
| while hot, dense blood
| while hot, dense blood
|
| oozed between the fingers that the torturer
| oozed between the fingers that the torturer
|
| stuck in my sockets.
| stuck in my sockets.
|
| With all my strength of mind I decided to count: I was the fiftieth in line
| With all my strength of mind I decided to count: I was the fiftieth in line
|
| we proceeded like a line for bread,
| we proceeded like a line for bread,
|
| a line that went forward then stopped
| a line that went forward then stopped
|
| I was counting … thirty-one victims and sixty-two stabs of the knife.
| I was counting… thirty-one victims and sixty-two stabs of the knife.
|
| A gasp, a push, a fall
| A gasp, a push, a fall
|
| one more step.
| one more step.
|
| A gasp a push a fall,
| A gasp a push a fall,
|
| and rivers of blood that flowed.
| and rivers of blood that flowed.
|
| With all my strength of mind I added up the blows, I subtracted the dead,
| With all my strength of mind I added up the blows, I subtracted the dead,
|
| every cry, every sob
| every cry, every sob
|
| hurt my heart like a bite.
| hurt my heart like a bite.
|
| Under the fierce sun they mowed us like rustling ears of corn:
| Under the fierce sun they mowed us like rustling ears of corn:
|
| with the same sound the blood gushed from our slit throats.
| with the same sound the blood gushed from our slit throats.
|
| The pit is full, lime thrown on the bodies so the dead do not plague the air.
| The pit is full, lime thrown on the bodies so the dead do not plague the air.
|
| And the flame of their charity
| And the flame of their charity
|
| heats the dead.
| heats the dead.
|
| I feel the bodies contract
| I feel the bodies contract
|
| I scramble, with instinctive anger, I feel the bodies contract
| I scramble, with instinctive anger, I feel the bodies contract
|
| like dead fish sprinkled with salt.
| like dead fish sprinkled with salt.
|
| They slithered, they slid over me,
| They slithered, they slid over me,
|
| they slowly subsided and those dead laughed, cried, screamed and invoked,
| they slowly subsided and those dead laughed, cried, screamed and invoked,
|
| stretched out their arms furiously
| stretched out their arms furiously
|
| trying to grab me …
| trying to grab me ...
|
| I felt nails, knees, sides,
| I felt nails, knees, sides,
|
| restless mouths on me.
| restless mouths on me.
|
| I scrambled, with instinctive anger,
| I scrambled, with instinctive anger,
|
| pressing on them, on their bellies, chests,
| pressing on them, on their bellies, chests,
|
| and gasps, gurgles, breathed out
| and gasps, gurgles, breathed out
|
| now I had no more pity
| now I had no more pity
|
| and perhaps I was trampling on a neighbour, perhaps I was trampling my dead
| and perhaps I was trampling on a neighbor, perhaps I was trampling my dead
|
| sister.
| sister.
|
| I WAS TRAMPLING MY DEAD SISTER
| I WAS TRAMPLING MY DEAD SISTER
|
| Neither tears nor laughter, nor cries, nor songs. | Neither tears nor laughter, nor cries, nor songs. |
| the vagrant moon shines on the ruins,
| the vagrant moon shines on the ruins,
|
| the remote sob of fountains is silenced,
| the remote sob of fountains is silenced,
|
| a dead dog lying in the road.
| a dead dog lying in the road.
|
| the reflection of the glass,
| the reflection of the glass,
|
| the creaking of a key in on old lock,
| the creaking of a key in on old lock,
|
| the odour of fire and in that odour every memory
| the odor of fire and in that odor every memory
|
| harvests and weddings, a ray of sun that gilds the door of home, and the dances,
| harvests and weddings, a ray of sun that gilds the door of home, and the dances,
|
| the vigils, the funerals, the laments
| the vigils, the funerals, the laments
|
| the peace that reigns over a spent century
| the peace that reigns over a spent century
|
| what life sows, death reaps.
| what life sows, death reaps.
|
| Freely inspired by Ivan Goran Kovac? | Freely inspired by Ivan Goran Kovac? |
| ic?'s poem The Pit with the sole intent of praising suffering not condemning it which is why many parts of the original
| ic? 's poem The Pit with the sole intent of praising suffering not condemning it which is why many parts of the original
|
| have been left out | have been left out |