Annalisa Cima
Poetry
translated by Jonathan Galassi
Italian Poetry Since World War II
A Special Issue edited with 
Paolo Cherchi volume CLV
october-november, 1989

1. TO CHERUBINO

Maybe natural analogies
dance for joy
maybe once the boredom of deceit
has dimmed
they go:
hypoteses of love.

Maybe all it took
was a blade
to cut through thoughts
futilities, and give us 
in one fusing meeting
closeness
fire
desire.

The fortunes of war
are unsure.
But I shall win: for Venus
grants me realms
that Mars bestows on others.

2. TO CHERUBINO

1.
Beloved lover loving you
I have tears in my eyes
and salt on my tongue
there's no distance between us
we are
heat fallen into life forgetting
and when I look
I see you're the sun
color that changes and wants to be lost
in the furrow that forks out of yearning.

2.
After the last flowers are tossed
we find this field
of sowings whithe.
There are times for tears 
and times when the song of days
transforms the frozen past.
And then go down mossy paths
together in the shrouds of haze
able to reap the return
of a lost day.

4. TO CHERUBINO

It began as a game
then little by little
suddently the claim
of your eyes that turn me
pale.

The link between us is clear
the web was already taut
charms of winds were whispering.
I asked the winged one
not to end the game
I know the signs of the ancient flame:
it's sweet to set wisdom aside
in the right time and place.

5. TO CHERUBINO

And when you
take the way again
hilt, shaft and reign
of flowering,
there's no arrogance
in your burning:
eagle that returns to the rock
drop of a thousand spirals
you climb the paths of paling again
like a land of exile
that received you as a warrior
and rediscovers you a son.

9. TO CHERUBINO

Tell me do you too feel
time flowing on.
The day of enchantment seems
long gone.
I take steps
toward subtle meeting places
stretched lines of arcs
toward furtive waters
where, Arcadians, we go together.

11 TO CHERUBINO

You too will age
and die of the sickness of ending.
There's time enough to sing
one recovered morning.

Translated by Jonathan Galassi

INDICE TRADUZIONI