Selected Poetry and Prose of Vittorio Sereni: a Bilingual Edition

465 Pages·1.498 MB·English

by  Sereni, Vittorio;Perryman, Marcus(Editor);Robinson, Peter(Editor)

vittorio sereni
The Selected Poetry and Prose of

The Selected Poetry and Prose of
v i t t o r i o s e r e n i
a bilingual edition
Edited and Translated by
peter robinson
and marcus perryman
with an Introduction by
peter robinson
The University ofChicago Press :: Chicago and London
Vittorio Sereni(1913–1983), widely regarded as among the most important Italian poets ofthe last
century, was also an essayist and a translator.
Peter Robinsonis professor ofEnglish literature at Kyoto Women’s University. He has published
over thirty books ofpoetry, translations, and literary criticism including Selected Poems(2003),
The Greener Meadow: Selected Poems of Luciano Erba(2006) and Twentieth Century Poetry: Selves and
Situations(2005).
Marcus Perrymanis a freelance translator and consultant, among whose most recent publications
are versions oftwo Renaissance Italian works by Andriano Banchieri, The Folly of Old Ageand The
Wisdom of Youth.With Peter Robinson, he has translated and published poetry by Giuseppe
Ungaretti, Franco Fortini, and Maurizio Cucchi, as well as an earlier selection ofpoems by Sereni.
The University ofChicago Press, Chicago 60637
The University ofChicago Press, Ltd., London
©2006 by The University ofChicago
All rights reserved. Published 2006
Printed in the United States ofAmerica
15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 1 2 3 4 5
isbn-13: 978-0-226-74878-8 (cloth)
isbn-10: 0-226-74878-2 (cloth)
Italian poetry ©Copyright the Estate ofVittorio Sereni. All rights reserved.
This publication was made possible thanks to the support ofthe Italian Ministry ofForeign
AΩairs, the Istituto Italiano di Cultura ofChicago, Director Tina Cervone, and the Istituto Ital-
iano di Cultura ofLos Angeles, Director Francesca Valente.
The University ofChicago Press gratefully acknowledges the generous support ofKyoto Women’s
University toward the publication ofthis book.
Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Sereni, Vittorio.
[Selections. English & Italian. 2006]
The selected poetry and prose ofVittorio Sereni : a bilingual edition / edited and translated
by Peter Robinson and Marcus Perryman ; with an introduction by Peter Robinson.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn: 0-226-74878-2 (cloth : alk. paper)
I. Robinson, Peter, 1953– II. Perryman, Marcus. III. Title.
pq4879.e74a27 2006
851'.914—dc22
2006019212
oThe paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements ofthe American Na-
tional Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence ofPaper for Printed Library Materials,
ansiz39.48-1992.
contents
Illustrations xiii
Preface xv
Acknowledgments xix
Introduction 1
Chronology 31
Selected Poetry
da frontiera / from frontier
Concerto in giardino / Garden Concert 42
Inverno / Winter 42
Concerto in giardino / Garden Concert 42
Domenica sportiva / Sport on Sunday 44
Memoria d’America / Recalling America 46
Canzone lombarda / Lombard Song 46
Compleanno / Birthday 48
Nebbia / Fog 48
Temporale a Salsomaggiore / Storm at Salsomaggiore 50
AM.L. sorvolando in rapido la sua città / To M.L. Passing Above
HerTown in an Express Train 52
Diana / Diana 54
Soldati a Urbino / Soldiers in Urbino 54
3 dicembre / 3 December 56
Poesia militare / Military Poem 58
Piazza / Piazza 58
Alla giovinezza / To Youth 58
Frontiera / Frontier 60
Inverno a Luino / Winter in Luino 60
Terrazza / Terrace 62
Strada di Zenna / Zenna Road 62
Settembre / September 64
Un’altra estate / Another Summer 66
Immagine / Image 66
In me il tuo ricordo / Your Memory in Me 68
Strada di Creva / Creva Road 68
Ecco le voci cadono / See How the Voices Fall 72
“Ecco le voci cadono e gli amici” / “See how the voices
fall and friends” 72
diario d’algeria / algerian diary
La ragazza d’Atene / The Athenian Girl 76
Periferia 1940 / Outskirts 1940 76
Città di notte / City at Night 76
Diario bolognese / Bolognese Diary 76
Belgrado / Belgrade 78
Italiano in Grecia / Italian in Greece 80
Dimitrios / Dimitrios 80
La ragazza d’Atene / The Athenian Girl 82
Risalendo l’Arno da Pisa / Up the Arno from Pisa 86
Villa Paradiso / Villa Paradiso 86
Pin-up Girl / Pin-up Girl 86
Diario d’Algeria / Algerian Diary 88
“Lassù dove di torre” / “Over there where from tower” 88
“Un improvviso vuoto del cuore” / “An unexpected
vacancy ofheart” 88
“Rinascono la valentia” / “Valor and grace” 90
“Non sa più nulla, è alto sulle ali” / “He knows nothing anymore,
is borne up on wings” 90
“Ahimè come ritorna” / “Alas how what returns” 92
“Non sanno d’essere morti” / “They don’t know they’re dead” 92
“Solo vera è l’estate e questa sua” / “Only the summer is
true and this” 94
“E ancora in sogno d’una tenda s’agita” / “And again in a dream
the tent’s edge” 94
“Spesso per viottoli tortuosi” / “Often through tortuous alleys” 96
“Troppo il tempo ha tardato” / “Too late has the time come” 96
“Se la febbre di te più non mi porta” / “Iffever for you no more
sustains me” 98
“Nel bicchiere di frodo” / “In the smuggled glass” 100
Algeria / Algeria 100
Il male d’Africa / The African Sickness 102
Frammenti di una sconfitta / Fragments ofa Defeat 102
Il male d’Africa / The African Sickness 106
Appunti da un sogno / Notes from a Dream 112
L’otto settembre / September the Eighth 114
da gli strumenti umani /
the human implements
from
Uno sguardo di rimando / ABackward Glance 118
Via Scarlatti / Via Scarlatti 118
Comunicazione interrotta / Interrupted Communication 118
Il tempo provvisorio / The Provisional Time 120
Viaggio all’alba / Journey at Dawn 120
Un ritorno / AReturn 122
Nella neve / In the Snow 122
Viaggio di andata e ritorno / Journey There and Back 122
L’equivoco / The Misapprehension 124
Ancora sulla strada di Zenna / On the Zenna Road Again 124
Finestra / Window 126
Gli squali / The Sharks 128
Mille Miglia / Mille Miglia 128
Anni dopo / Years After 130
Le ceneri / The Ashes 132
Le sei del mattino / Six in the Morning 132
Una visita in fabbrica / AFactory Visit 134
Appuntamento a ora insolita / Appointment at an Unusual Hour 140
Il grande amico / The Great Friend 140
Scoperta dell’odio / Discovery ofHatred 142
Un incubo / ANightmare 142
Quei bambini che giocano / Those Children Playing 144
Saba / Saba 144
Di passaggio / Passing 146
Situazione / Situation 146
Gli amici / The Friends 148
Appuntamento a ora insolita / Appointment at an
Unusual Hour 148
Il centro abitato / The Inhabited Center 152
Nel sonno / In Sleep 152
I versi / The Lines 158
Corso Lodi / Corso Lodi 158
L’alibi e il beneficio / The Alibi and the Benefit 160
La poesia è una passione? / Poetry Is a Passion? 160
Apparizioni o incontri / Apparitions or Encounters 166
Un sogno / ADream 166
Ancora sulla strada di Creva / On the Creva Road Again 168
Intervista a un suicida / Interview with a Suicide 170
Il piatto piange / Il Piatto Piange 174
Sopra un’immagine sepolcrale / On a Cemetery Photograph 176
Aun compagno d’infanzia / To a Childhood Companion 178
Dall’Olanda / From Holland 180
La pietà ingiusta / The Unjust Pity 184
Nel vero anno zero / In the True Year Zero 186
La speranza / The Hope 188
Metropoli / Metropolis 190
Il muro / The Wall 192
Pantomima terrestre / Earthly Pantomime 194
I ricongiunti / The Reunited 196
La spiaggia / The Beach 198
da stella variabile / from variable star
I 202
Quei tuoi pensieri di calamità / Your Thoughts ofCalamity 202
In una casa vuota / In an Empty House 202
Toronto sabato sera / Toronto Saturday Night 204
Posto di lavoro / Place ofWork 204
Lavori in corso / Works in Progress 206
Addio Lugano bella / Beautiful Lugano Goodbye 210
Interno / Interior 212
Crescita / Growth 214
II 214
Di taglio e cucito / OfCuts and Stitches 214
Poeta in nero / Poet in Black 216
Revival / Revival 216
Sarà la noia / It Will Be the Boredom 218
Festival / Festival 220
Esterno rivisto in sogno / Exterior Seen Again in Dream 220
Giovanna e i Beatles / Giovanna and the Beatles 222
Ogni volta che quasi / Each Time That Almost 224
III 226
Un posto di vacanza / AHoliday Place 226
Niccolò / Niccolò 244
Fissità / Fixity 246
IV 248
Traducevo Char / Translating Char 248
i “Amodo mio, René Char” / “In my way, René Char” 248
ii Muezzìn / Muezzin 248
iii Un tempio laico / ALay Temple 250
iv Villaggio verticale / Vertical village 250
v Martellata lentezza / Hammered Slowness 252
vi Notturno / Nocturne 252
vii Madrigale a Nefertiti / Madrigal to Nefertiti 254
viii “Bastava un niente” / “Anothing su≈ced” 254
V 256
Verano e solstizio / Verano and the Solstice 256
Requiem / Requiem 256
Paura prima / First Fear 258
Paura seconda / Second Fear 258
Altro posto di lavoro / Other Place ofWork 260
La malattia dell’olmo / The Disease ofthe Elm 260
In salita / Uphill 262