Al porto
by Donata Berra
Al porto, uno
A ridosso dell’onda, preso
tra le maglie della rete, perso
al finisterre sguardo, e le passioni:
fermo, aspettando che calino le nasse
Al porto, due
Senza apparente scopo
come la lenta risacca
ma con visibile fastidio
per le frasi che non la riguardano
sta la bella donna
seduta al bar Blu Mare
attorcigliando il fumo
cilestrino della sigaretta.
In the Harbor
by Donata Berra
At the first harbor
Close to the wave, taken
between the mesh of the net, he is lost
in the endless glance and the passions:
standing still, waiting for the creels to lower
At the second harbor
With no apparent purpose
like the slow returning undertow
though visibly annoyed
by the words not concerning her
the beautiful woman is
sitting at the Blue Sea bar
twisting the bluish smoke
of the cigarette.
translated from Italian by Charif Shanahan