WHEN WAS THE LAST
TIME YOU WEPT?
ESPECIALLY IN WEEPING
Especially in weeping
the soul reveals
its presence
and through secret pressure
changes sorrow into water.
The first budding of the spirit
is in the tear,
a slow and transparent word.
Then following this elemental alchemy
thought turns itself into substance
as real as a stone or an arm.
And there is nothing uneasy in the liquid
except the mineral
anguish of matter.
its presence
and through secret pressure
changes sorrow into water.
The first budding of the spirit
is in the tear,
a slow and transparent word.
Then following this elemental alchemy
thought turns itself into substance
as real as a stone or an arm.
And there is nothing uneasy in the liquid
except the mineral
anguish of matter.
© Dana Gioia
Translated from
the Italian of
Valerio Magrelli
Painting: Woman
Weeping, Rembrandt
No comments:
Post a Comment