Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Valerio Magrelli

Lesson in meter

A steel comb uncurls
the notes, swirls
a sweet music of cotton
candy. Like a charmer
of snakes I\'m charmed
hypnotized by the language
of sound that uncoils
while iron teeth
a rosary of hooks
tear at this butchered
carcass, and leave the listener\'s
heart in shreds.
It\'s my heart they\'re playing!
Quirk and stench. But break
the casing around the ballerina, and the carillon
stops, for bad taste
is its sweet harmonic shell,
a case for the baroque
pearl of affectation. Night.
Frankenstein\'s violin is calling.
And I myself am that musical monster
condemned to the musical wheel
of his musical nostalgia.

Lezione di metrica

Lezione di metrica

Un pettine d\'acciaio fila
le note, sfila
una musica dolce di zucchero
filato. Come un incantatore
di serpenti incantato
mi ipnotizza la lingua
del suono che si srotola
mentre i denti di ferro,
il rosario di uncini,
strappano questa carne
da scortico, e sbranato
sta il cuore di chi ascolta.
Qui suonano il mio cuore!
Vezzo e lezzo. Rotto l\'involucro
con la ballerina, il carillon si arresta
perché il cattivo gusto
è il suo buon guscio armonico,
l\'astuccio per la perla
matta della leziosità. Notte.
Il violino di Frankenstein mi chiama.
E io sono quel mostro musicale
condannato alla ruota musicale
della sua musicale nostalgia.
Close

Lesson in meter

A steel comb uncurls
the notes, swirls
a sweet music of cotton
candy. Like a charmer
of snakes I\'m charmed
hypnotized by the language
of sound that uncoils
while iron teeth
a rosary of hooks
tear at this butchered
carcass, and leave the listener\'s
heart in shreds.
It\'s my heart they\'re playing!
Quirk and stench. But break
the casing around the ballerina, and the carillon
stops, for bad taste
is its sweet harmonic shell,
a case for the baroque
pearl of affectation. Night.
Frankenstein\'s violin is calling.
And I myself am that musical monster
condemned to the musical wheel
of his musical nostalgia.

Lesson in meter

A steel comb uncurls
the notes, swirls
a sweet music of cotton
candy. Like a charmer
of snakes I\'m charmed
hypnotized by the language
of sound that uncoils
while iron teeth
a rosary of hooks
tear at this butchered
carcass, and leave the listener\'s
heart in shreds.
It\'s my heart they\'re playing!
Quirk and stench. But break
the casing around the ballerina, and the carillon
stops, for bad taste
is its sweet harmonic shell,
a case for the baroque
pearl of affectation. Night.
Frankenstein\'s violin is calling.
And I myself am that musical monster
condemned to the musical wheel
of his musical nostalgia.
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