Roberto Baronti Marchiò
Foam
If only I could live like this
foam of the waves,
I would leave the stone
to wear away in the water.
Heavenly bound I would wallow
seaweeds and mollusks
and with crooked fingers cast myself
on the reeds that root on the shore.
Among sea shells, crabs and sargassos
with the backwash I’d swirl
the gravel around.
But I too am stone and
the liquid hand that now and then passes
erodes the barren surface of my lunar face.
Schiuma
Schiuma
Potessi vivere cosìschiuma d\'onda,
lascerei il sasso
consumarsi all\'acqua.
Imparadisato diguazzerei
alghe e molluschi
e con dita ritorte mi getterei
sull\'erbaspada che radica a riva.
Tra conchiglie, granchi e sargassi
con la risacca il brecciame
farei roteare.
Ma anch\'io sono pietra e
la liquida mano che ogni tanto ripassa
consuma il mio alido volto lunare.
From: 7 Poeti del Premio Montale
Publisher: All\'Insegna del Pesce d\'Oro, Milan
Foam
If only I could live like this
foam of the waves,
I would leave the stone
to wear away in the water.
Heavenly bound I would wallow
seaweeds and mollusks
and with crooked fingers cast myself
on the reeds that root on the shore.
Among sea shells, crabs and sargassos
with the backwash I’d swirl
the gravel around.
But I too am stone and
the liquid hand that now and then passes
erodes the barren surface of my lunar face.
From: 7 Poeti del Premio Montale
Foam
If only I could live like this
foam of the waves,
I would leave the stone
to wear away in the water.
Heavenly bound I would wallow
seaweeds and mollusks
and with crooked fingers cast myself
on the reeds that root on the shore.
Among sea shells, crabs and sargassos
with the backwash I’d swirl
the gravel around.
But I too am stone and
the liquid hand that now and then passes
erodes the barren surface of my lunar face.