Leonardo Sinisgalli (1908-1981) studied engineering and mathematics before he became a poet, and they appear to call him the “engineer poet”. Here is a collection of his poetry in Italian. I found this impressionist poem about a street, in the translation of W.S. di Piero, and I quote: Via Velasca Years of pounding have nearly Caved …
The following poem by Serbian poet Vasko Popa (1922-1991) in the translation of Anne Paddington, did impress me. St. Sava’s Journey He journeys over the dark land With his staff he cuts The dark beyond him into four He flings thick gloves Changed into immense cats At the grey army of mice Amid the storm …
Marina Tsvetsaeva (1892-1941) I read Meeting in an English translation by Ilya Shambat who prepared it for the 110th anniversary of her birth in 2002. Meeting Evening dimmed, like ourselves charmed With this first warmth of the spring. Stirring alive, Arbat was alarmed; With sympathetic tenderness, the kind Gale touched us with a tired wing. …
Today I read a poem by my famous German expressionist, Georg Trakl (1887-1914). I couldn’t find a translation of die Verwandlung online, so I created one myself. There is a website where you can contribute poetry translations, and I added this one. This is what the great German, who died at 27 (sounds familiar) from …
Today, I wanted to read a poem by Hugo von Hofmannthal or Wisława Szymborska, but I couldn’t find (the time to make) a good translation of the German genius and I’m not fond of the Polish Nobel Prize winner. So I read a poet by former Angolan president Augustinho Neto (1922-1979) instead. Here it is, in …
The great Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (1904-1973, born as Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto) deserves a place in our anthology as well. I browsed his poetry and found this item, ‘Enigma with Flower’ suitable for today’s short reading. Victory. It has come late, I had not learnt how to arrive, like the lily, at will, the white figure, that pierces …
The French poet Yves Bonnefoy (1923-2016) published major collections of poetry throughout his livetime. He lived, and died, in Paris in 2016. Today, I read a poem headed ‘L’Orangerie’. I didn’t like the English translation by Galway Kinnell so I have improved it. As usual, here’s the poem: THE ORANGERY Thus we walk on the ruins …
I like the accessible poetry of Yehuda Amichai. Today I read his poem ‘Tourist’ for a future anthology. Amichai (1924-2000) is generally considered the most important contemporary Israeli poet. She showed me her swaying hair in the four winds of her coming. I showed her some of my folding ways of life and the trick, and …
Today’s poem is by Swiss poet Philippe Jaccottet, born in 1925 and a prominent figure in the post-war era. The French original can be found here. Without further ado, as usual (ado can be googled and regurgitated), I do my reading. Swifts turn in the height of the air; higher still turn the invisible stars. When …
Today I read a poem by the Lebanese poet (and former miss Beirut) Venus Khoury-Ghata in the English translation by Marilyn Hacker. It has a few things in common with poems I wrote about here earlier: It is short, but not too short and contains some surrealistic images that can shake the prepared reader. we filed …
