Bowie collage by Antonella Ponziani

Rain, midnight rain, nothing but the wild rain
On this bleak hut, and solitude, and me
Remembering again that I shall die
And neither hear the rain nor give it thanks
For washing me cleaner than I have been
Since I was born into this solitude.
Blessed are the dead that the rain rains upon:
But here I pray that none whom once I loved
Is dying to-night or lying still awake
Solitary, listening to the rain,
Either in pain or thus in sympathy
Helpless among the living and the dead,
Like a cold water among broken reeds,
Myriads of broken reeds all still and stiff,
Like me who have no love which this wild rain
Has not dissolved except the love of death,
If love it be for what is perfect and
Cannot, the tempest tells me, disappoint.



Edward Thomas (1878-1917)

Time wastes too fast : every letter I trace
tells me with what rapidity Life follows my
pen ; the days and hours of it, more
precious, my dear Jenny! than the rubies
about thy neck, are flying over our
heads like light clouds of a windy day,
never to return more  --  every thing
presses on  --  whilst thou are twisting
that lock,  --  see! it grows grey ;

and every time I kiss thy hand to bid adieu,
and every absence which follows it, are
preludes to that eternal separation which
we are shortly to make. --  

--  Heaven have mercy upon us
both!

(L. Sterne, "Tristam Shandy" Vol. IX - ch. 8)

                                                                           (disegno di Emanuela D'Orsogna)

A little sun  A little rain

A little sun, a little rain

a soft wind blowing from the west

and woods and fields are sweet again

and warmth within the mountain's breast

A little love, a little trust

a soft impulse, a sudden dream

and life as dry as desert dust

is fresher than a mountain stream

(Stopford A. Brooke) 

                                                         (disegno di Emanuela D'Orsogna)                                                                          

I CRY YOUR MERCY -  PITY -  LOVE ! - AYE LOVE!

MERCIFUL LOVE THAT TANTALIZES NOT,

ONE-THOUGHTED, NEVER-WANDERING, GUILELESS LOVE,

UNMASK'D, AND BEING SEEN- WITHOUT A BLOT ! 

OH, LET ME HAVE THEE WHOLE, -ALL- ALL- BE MINE !

THAT SHAPE, THAT FAIRNESS, THAT SWEET MINOR ZEST

OF LOVE, YOUR KISS, - THOSE HANDS, THOSE EYES DIVINE,

THAT WARM, WHITE, LUCENT, MILLION-PLEASURED BREAST,

YOURSELF - YOUR SOUL - IN PITY GIVE ME ALL, 

WITHHOLD NO ATOM'S ATOM OR I DIE;

OR LIVING ON, PERHAPS, YOUR WRETCHED THRALL,

FORGET, IN THE MIST OF IDLE MISERY,

LIFE'S PURPOSES, - THE PALATE OF MY MIND

LOSING ITS GUST, AND MY AMBITION BLIND ! -   

KEATS, SONNET XVI (1819)

TRADUZIONE

GRIDO ALLA VOSTRA MISERICORDIA - COMPASSIONE - AMORE! -

SI' AMORE!

AMORE MISERICORDIOSO E NON TORMENTO, 

UNIVOCO PENSIERO,  AMORE ONESTO, IMMUTABILE

SENZA MASCHERA,  E  SENZA INFAMIA !

OH, LASCIATE CHE IO VI ABBIA INTERAMENTE , -  TUTTA TUTTA -

SIATE MIA !

QUELLA FORMA LEGGIADRA, QUELLA BELLEZZA, QUEL  DOLCE 

MINIMO GUSTO D'AMORE,  IL VOSTRO BACIO, -

QUELLE MANI ED OCCHI DIVINI, QUEL CALDO, BIANCO

LUCENTE  SENO DAI  MILLE  PIACERI,

VOI  STESSA - LA VOSTRA ANIMA -  SIATE  CLEMENTE,  DATEMI  TUTTO,

SENZA TRATTENERE  UN  ATOMO DI UN ATOMO O MORRO';

O SE MAGARI CONTINUERO' A VIVERE,  VOSTRO SVENTURATO 

SERVO, DIMENTICHERO',  NELLA FOSCHIA DELL'INUTILE AFFLIZIONE ,

GLI SCOPI DELLA VITA, - PERDUTO DAL PALATO DELLA MENTE 

LO  SLANCIO,   E RESA L'AMBIZIONE  CIECA  !-

                                                                           (disegno di Emanuela D'Orsogna)

...  Then read from the treasured volume

the poem of your choice  

and lend to the rhyme of the poet 

the beauty of your voice 

 

 

(Longfellow)