“happiness is a very small thing” – Trilussa (Carlo Alberto Salustri)
| Felicità di Trilussa C’è un’ape che se posa su un bottone de rosa: lo succhia e se ne va… Tutto sommato, la felicità è una piccola cosa. | Happiness by Trilussa Swooping down, a busy bee lands on the bud of a rose tree: it sucks the nectar and takes wing… All things considered, happiness is a very small thing. Translation ©Matilda Colarossi 2020 |
As always, something is lost: I had to sacrifice the rhyme scheme this time (from A, A, B, B, A to A, A, B, C, B) but I hope the playfulness of this very short poem remains. It made me happy: I just wanted to pass it along!
Trilussa, Carlo Alberto Salustri (1871 – 1950) was a Roman author who wrote in the dialect of Rome. Trilussa is an anagram of his surname, “Salustri”. He is best known for his poems and sonnets.
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parallel texts: words reflected 