Stelle trenta denari

by Francesca Pellegrino

Qualcuno si guarda l’orologio

girando tutte le angolazioni

del polso.

Altri non sanno se sia notte

o giorno, ma ognuno aspetta

qualcosa — come se potesse mai

decidere di non piovere più

il cielo.

.

Siamo pianeti

col difetto della personalità

Quelli, mai si sognerebbero

di fare quel che gli pare.

A loro basta l’universo

l’eternotempo

e la luce, se non è buio.

A noi, le gambe le muove la storia

e la radice di ogni paura.

Del resto siamo mattoni di coscienza

e di fortuna.

Ultra sheer stars

by Francesca Pellegrino

Some glance at their wristwatch

gyrating the wrist

at all angles.

Others don’t know whether it’s night

or day, but all expect

something—as if the sky

might decide not to rain

again.

.

We are planets

with personality flaws.

They would never dream

of doing what they want.

All they need is a universe

eternaltime

and light—if it’s not dark.

As for us, it’s those legs that move

history and root of every fear.

After all, we are bricks of conscience

and fate.

translated from Italian by Adria Bernardi

Francesca Pellegrino was born in Taranto, where she currently lives. Her publications include Chernobylove—Il giorno dopo il vento (Kimerik 2010), Dimentico sempre di dare l’acqua ai sogni (Kimerik 2009), and Niente di personale (Samizdat 2009). A chapbook, L’Enunciato (Libraria Padovana 2008), was included in the series Donne in poesia, edited by Elisa Davoglio. She is a coordinator of the literary magazine LibrAria.

Adria Bernardi’s translations include Small Talk, a translation of poetry in the romagnole dialect by Raffaello Baldini; Siren’s Song, prose and poetry of Rinaldo Caddeo; Adventures in Africa, a work of nonfiction by Gianni Celati; and Abandoned Places, the poetry of Tonino Guerra. A collection of personal essays, Dead Meander, was recently published by Kore Press.