Lunedì Poesia: Learning Italian
The original poem written in 2012 in English (below) is in the ‘Go Vat’ form from Cambodia. Written Italiano February 2106.
“Imparare l’italiano”
Una creatura tesa, volubile e poetica
il linguaggio da solo è il suo insegnante
mai per un’attimo in vista completaporta i semi d’erba nel sua pelo; ogni amento
la stoffa della mia vita nuova, le sue caratteristiche
mai per un attimo in vista completale parole seguono il torrente, languinose come la pelliccia di pesca
smentiscono i metodi con cui per raggiungerla
non sono mai in vista completa
Learning Italian
A taut, flighty and poetic creature
the language alone is its own teacher
never for a moment in full view
it carries grass seeds in its coat; each bur
the makings of my new life, its features
never for a moment in full view
words follow the torrent, soft as peach fur
belie the methods by which to reach her
they’re never in full view
The Go Vat form (from Cambodia) is a set of stanzas that follows the rhyme and repeat scheme a,a, B. I’ve followed the examples I’ve seen to make the two rhyming lines of each stanza 10 syllables each.
