Rethink.

With thanks to Abigail Schreiber and Charmi Vince Lovely Night (trans. Diego Bastianutti) Giuseppe Ungaretti Devetachi August 24, 1916 What song has surged tonight That weaves The stars With the crystal echo Of the heart What vernal joy Of wedded heart I’ve been a stagnant pool of darkness Now like a child at breast I …

With thanks to Catherine Rogers  My House (from A Major Selection of the Poems of Giuseppe Ungaretti; tr. Diego Bastianutti) Giuseppe Ungaretti The surprise after so long of a love I thought I’d scattered round the world Mi Casa Sorpresa dopo tanto d’un amore Credevo di averlo sparpagliato per il mondo Comment: I’ll defer to …

With thanks to Tyler Travillian Eternal Giuseppe Ungaretti (tr. Patrick Creagh) Between one flower picked and the other given the inexpressible nothing [Tra un fiore colto e l'altro donato l'inesprimibile nulla] Comment: Dr. Travillian looked at “colto” and thought that maybe “cultivated” was a better word than “picked.” He also looked at an Italian commentary …

With thanks to Catherine Rogers A Dove (tr. Diego Bastianutti) Ungaretti I hearken to a dove from other Floods. Original Italian: Una Colomba D’altri diluvi una colomba ascolto. Comment: I have no idea what this poem means, but it was time to bring forth the awesomeness that is Ungaretti. Catherine Rogers had the most beautiful …