Poem
Franco Buffoni
IF YOU DON\'T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS IN ENGLISH TO MAROON
If you don\'t know what it means in English to maroonThink of a runaway black slave
He\'s a maroon
And through one of those semantic
Conversions that are the jewel of languages
To maroon someone
Means on the contrary actively to abandon him
Especially on an island. A desert island.
The verb as is clear goes back to the eighteenth century
And the classic example which is equally clear
Cites Jan Svilt, homosexual sailor marooned.
The verb is regular.
© Translation: 2002, Franco Buffoni
From: The Shadow of Mount Rosa
Publisher: Gradiva Publications, New York, 2002
From: The Shadow of Mount Rosa
Publisher: Gradiva Publications, New York, 2002
IF YOU DON\'T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS IN ENGLISH TO MAROON
Se non sai che significhi in inglese to maroon
Pensa ad un nero schiavo che fugge
È lui a maroon
E per una di quelle conversioni
Semantiche che fanno il bello delle lingue
Marronare qualcuno
Significa al contrario attivamente abbandonarlo
Specie su un\'isola. Deserta.
Il verbo risale come è ovvio al settecento
E l\'esempio classico e altrettanto ovvio
Cita Jan Svilt, homosexual sailor marooned.
Il verbo è regolare.
Pensa ad un nero schiavo che fugge
È lui a maroon
E per una di quelle conversioni
Semantiche che fanno il bello delle lingue
Marronare qualcuno
Significa al contrario attivamente abbandonarlo
Specie su un\'isola. Deserta.
Il verbo risale come è ovvio al settecento
E l\'esempio classico e altrettanto ovvio
Cita Jan Svilt, homosexual sailor marooned.
Il verbo è regolare.
© 2002, Franco Buffoni
From: Del maestro in bottega
Publisher: Empirìa,
From: Del maestro in bottega
Publisher: Empirìa,
Poems
Poems of Franco Buffoni
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IF YOU DON\'T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS IN ENGLISH TO MAROON
If you don\'t know what it means in English to maroonThink of a runaway black slave
He\'s a maroon
And through one of those semantic
Conversions that are the jewel of languages
To maroon someone
Means on the contrary actively to abandon him
Especially on an island. A desert island.
The verb as is clear goes back to the eighteenth century
And the classic example which is equally clear
Cites Jan Svilt, homosexual sailor marooned.
The verb is regular.
© 2002, Franco Buffoni
From: The Shadow of Mount Rosa
Publisher: 2002, Gradiva Publications, New York
From: The Shadow of Mount Rosa
Publisher: 2002, Gradiva Publications, New York
IF YOU DON\'T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS IN ENGLISH TO MAROON
If you don\'t know what it means in English to maroonThink of a runaway black slave
He\'s a maroon
And through one of those semantic
Conversions that are the jewel of languages
To maroon someone
Means on the contrary actively to abandon him
Especially on an island. A desert island.
The verb as is clear goes back to the eighteenth century
And the classic example which is equally clear
Cites Jan Svilt, homosexual sailor marooned.
The verb is regular.
© 2002, Franco Buffoni
From: The Shadow of Mount Rosa
Publisher: 2002, Gradiva Publications, New York
From: The Shadow of Mount Rosa
Publisher: 2002, Gradiva Publications, New York
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