Poetry International Poetry International
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 maroon
Think 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.

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.
Close

IF YOU DON\'T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS IN ENGLISH TO MAROON

If you don\'t know what it means in English to maroon
Think 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.

IF YOU DON\'T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS IN ENGLISH TO MAROON

If you don\'t know what it means in English to maroon
Think 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.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère