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Franco Fortini (Franco Lattes, 1917-1994) was a writer and literary critic, born in Florence, Italy. He is the author of a large number of essays, collections of poems, and novels. He also translated the work of Bertolt Brecht and Marcel Proust into Italian. Email a friend >> Printable version >> |
Far Away, Far Away . . .
Far away, far away, men making wars.
Other folk's blood spilt on other folk's floors.
Only this morning I wounded my finger:
a thorn on my rosebush pierced like a stinger.
Sucking that finger, I thought of the war.
Sad is the earth! And those people, so poor!
I'm of no help, being here and not there,
nor can I reach them, by sea or by air.
And what if I could—what good could I do?
My Arabic's terrible! My English is, too!
What, should I stroll through the fields of the dead
leaving sheaves of my verses under each head?
No. Enough of this wretched irony-fest.
Let's put on a coat. The sun's low in the west. Translated by Geoffrey Brock
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