#Audio
| I camini Corrado Govoni Grigi alleati delle nebbie dai tetti s’alzano i camini nani giganti mingherlini ventruti esili lunghi simili a strani funghi a fantastici berretti a pipe sornione a caffettiere di stregoni a ombrelli bucati di mendichi a torri merlate a clessidre ad imbuti di sereno . Sentinelle pacifiche, rustiche tiare, pertiche donde dardeggia i suoi occhi fosforescenti di civetta la luna incinta di una stella, troni dei gatti e dei pavoni. Solo quando il vento rompe il loro mutismo quotidiano chi veglia silenzioso accanto al focolare può afferrare un fantastico brano ruminato a bassa voce delle loro interviste colle nubi. | Chimneys Corrado Govoni Grey allies of the fogs from rooftops rise chimneys pint-sized gigantic scrawny paunchy sinewy long similar to strange champignon to fantastic bonnets to wily pipes to wizards’ pots to beggars’ broken umbrellas to crenelated towers to hour-glasses of fair funnels. Peaceful sentinels, rustic tiaras, staffs over which spring the phosphorescent owl eyes of the star-bearing moon, thrones of cats and peacocks. Only when the wind interrupts their daily taciturnity are the silent guardians of the fire able to heed a fantastic melody ruminated in whispers of their interviews with the clouds. Translation ©Matilda Colarossi 2021 |
I would have so loved to be able to translate “la luna incinta di una stella”, but it just didn’t come to me; and where the “i suoi occhi” obviously refers to the moon’s eyes, mentioned in the next line, in English I would have had to use “its phosphorescent eyes of the owl/ the moon pregnant with a star”, which makes no sense to me. Something is always lost…unfortunately.
Painting: The roofs of Paris at sunset, 1899, Gustave Cariot
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parallel texts: words reflected 
Beautiful translation
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Thank you so much.
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