I´ve done my own collaging, Umbran and English; ecco, here´s my heady brew:
SONGS OF TERROR AND LOVE Frank Corcoran ( 2009 ) . Texts by Jacopone da Todi :
1. Chi pro Cristo v ´empazzato / Pare afflitto e tribulato.
Chi pro Cristo ne`va pazzo / Alla gente si par matto.
Chi vole entrare in questa danza / Trov´amor désmesuranza !
2. Allegom´en sseppultura / Un ventr´i lupo envoratura .
E l´arliquie en cacatura / En espineta e rogarìa !
He who raves for Christ´s insane / Most afflicted, his great pain .
Who for Christ loses his mind / He looks lost to all mankind.
But he who begins this dancing / Measureless love he´s sure to find….
I chose as my last tomb and shroud / A wolf´s belly after he´s devoured
Me; my remains that wolf´s shit / In among thorns in a deep pit !
3. Che farai, Fra Jacovone ? Ei venuto al paragone !
Well, what now, Fra Jacopone ? Now you´re come to your trial !
The lodging that they gave me / ´S a hole under ground – no denial
La presone che m´è data / Una casa sotterata !
Arèscece una privata / Non fa fraga de moscone !
Here a stinking jakes disgorges ; it won´t smell of perfumed roses !
They placed my legs in leg – irons ; now they rustle like sirens.
Porto jette i sparvèri / Soneglianno nel mio giro .
Nova danza ce po´ odire / Chi sta apresso mea stazzone .
Listen above ! – Hear askance ! Can you hear my new dance ?
4. O Papa Bonifazio , molto ´ai jocato al mundo.
Pensome che iocondo non te porrai partire ….
Per subita ruina / Ei preso en tua masone !
E null´ om se trovone / A poterti guarire .
O Pope Bonifazio / With this world you played ” Peek Oh! ”
Yet I judge that your dying / Will be more than mere sighing !
Your ruin has reached you / In your palace it breached you !
No doctor can heal you ! No nurse dares to feel you !
El mondo non n´è cavallo / Che sse lass` enfranare ,
Che ´l pòzzi cavalcare / Secondo tuo volere !
This world´s not a race-horse / To goad on with your spurs
To rein in at your whim / Till with your desire it concurs
Dell´ aneme redente / Par che ne curi poco .
La ´ve t´accunci ´l loco / Saperai lo al partire !
– It´s not all souls´ salvation / It´s you´ve reaped your damnation .
At your parting, self-chosen / You will find out your destination !
( Now : See Frank Corcoran´s radio-essay in RTE November 2009 publication, ” Ten Years Of THE QUIET CORNER” , published by New Island Press.
MY HOT JUNE HEART MISSED TWO BEATS
Posted on July 15, 2009 By Frank Corcoran )
We were sitting to tea under a cool peach-tree near Maria Rovenza´s fence when out – through it – shot a lizard at high speed ( quite near my quiet feet ) pursued by a very long snake, it also at high speed. The lizard accelerated even more.
Ditto the snake ( – ignored us completely – ) , her head held high, jaws wide open for imminent dinner. Very long and thin and mean and hungry and super-fast! Up on its
high horse, it lepped, swayed, danced, undulated, bucked and then SPRANG after the little victim which was streaking across flower-beds and terrace, hoping against hope to reach the road-gate. I grabbed a stick and, yelling, chased the chasing Schlanknatter ( Coluber Najadum ) chasing its speeding morsel. Only as I got near enough to attempt a whack did it slow down, eye me malevolently; it then dived into the roses. Where it no doubt still is, sulking, hungry.
Little lizard lucky.
I´ve been asking; nobody here has ever heard of a snake speeding so fast and with the whole body bicycling up and down like something in a Disney nature-film.
This was ” Quasi Una Visione” alright . Some snake´s hunger.
Not a viper. ( – Franco killed a huge ” Viperone” down in Maria´s long grass last week. )
No hysteria ; but still it´s foot it on the cautious toe. And it´s back to shnake shticks , so it is.
More snake stories as this long, hot summer enfolds. I hope not vipers. No.
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