Post your favourite non-english poetry

Jeremy1012
Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
edited November 2006 in Poetry, Prose, Music & Art
Just thought since almost all the poetry posted here is in english it might be interesting to post some non-english poems. After all, a great deal of the best poets did not speak english as their mother tongue. I felt that Arthur Rimbaud deserved to start it off but I decided to go with a short one to start with.

L'Etoile a pleuré rose (The star wept rose-colour)

L'étoile a pleuré rose au coeur de tes oreilles,
L'infini roulé blanc de ta nuque à tes reins
La mer a perlé rousse à tes mammes vermeilles
Et l'Homme saigné noir à ton flanc souverain.

Translation

The star has wept rose-colour in the heart of your ears,
The infinite rolled white from your nape to the small of your back
The sea has broken russet at your vermilion nipples,
And Man bled black at your royal side.
"I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • FinsburyParkCarrots
    FinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    Blas sméara dubh'
    tréis báisteach
    ar bharr an tsléibhe.

    I dtost an phríosúin
    Feadaoil fhuar na traenach.

    Cogar gáire beirt leannán
    don aonarán.
  • meme
    meme Posts: 4,695
    Ho sceso, dandoti il braccio, almeno un milione di scale

    Ho sceso, dandoti il braccio, almeno un milione di scale
    e ora che non ci sei è il vuoto ad ogni gradino.
    Anche così è stato breve il nostro lungo viaggio.
    Il mio dura tuttora, né più mi occorrono
    le coincidenze, le prenotazioni,
    le trappole, gli scorni di chi crede
    che la realtà sia quella che si vede.

    Ho sceso milioni di scale dandoti il braccio
    non già perchè con quattr'occhi forse si vede di più.
    Con te le ho scese perchè sapevo che di noi due
    le sole vere pupille, sebbene tanto offuscate,
    erano le tue.


    (Eugenio Montale, Satura, Xenia II)
    ... and the will to show I will always be better than before.
  • FinsburyParkCarrots
    FinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    [translation: Ulick O'Connor]

    The blackberries' taste
    after rainfall
    on the hilltop.

    In the silence of prison
    the train's cold whistle.

    The whisper of laughing lovers
    to the lonely.
  • Arthur Itis
    Arthur Itis Posts: 41
    thoust once waseth a man fromst nantucket
    whoseth cocketh was so largeth he couldeth sucketh
    whilst wiping hiseth chineth,
    he proclaimedeth witheth a grineth,
    ifeth my eareth was a cunteth I could fucketh iteth.
    your eyes make a circle,
    I see you when I go in there.
  • FinsburyParkCarrots
    FinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    Arthur Itis wrote:
    cunteth

    The word is "quaynte" in Chaucerean English. Quaint, eh? ;)
  • Jeremy1012
    Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:
    The word is "quaynte" in Chaucerean English. Quaint, eh? ;)
    It is indeed. I believe the Wife of Bath is particularly fond of the word. dirty old mare...
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • FinsburyParkCarrots
    FinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    I slipped up, though. I meant "queynte":

    "As clerkes ben ful subtile and ful queynte;
    And prively he caughte hire by the queynte"

    ;)
  • Jeremy1012
    Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:
    I slipped up, though. I meant "queynte":

    "As clerkes ben ful subtile and ful queynte;
    And prively he caughte hire by the queynte"

    ;)
    its worse that I didn't catch it considering that I am studying it right now and wrote an essay on it yesterday! :D way to go and highlight my lack of knowledge :)
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • FinsburyParkCarrots
    FinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    Jeremy1012 wrote:
    its worse that I didn't catch it considering that I am studying it right now and wrote an essay on it yesterday! :D way to go and highlight my lack of knowledge :)

    Imagine having taught it at undergraduate level, and having fucked up. That's the worrier. ;)
  • FinsburyParkCarrots
    FinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    Not that I have, but, er, moving swiftly on...

    'S gann gun dÏrich mi chaoidh
    Dh'ionnsuidh frÏthean a' mhonaidh;
    'S gann gun dirich mi chaoidh.

    Fhuair mi litir a D˜n Eideann 'g rýdh
    Nach feud mi dhol do 'n mhonadh.

    'S tric a mharbh mi fiadh ard bheann
    Air na glinn a b'ýille culaidh.

    Fýgaidh mi a nis an tir seo, chan fhaigh
    M'inntinn sÏth innt' tuilleadh.

    Bheir mi ruaig gu cÚrs' nan Innsean
    Feuch an dean mi fhÏn am buinnig.
  • meme
    meme Posts: 4,695
    tchaliz wrote:
    hey meme, quando scendere li scale, prego puoi tradurre per noi?
    T

    I could not find a proper translation online, and I would hate to butcher it.
    Let me look it up at the library :)
    ... and the will to show I will always be better than before.

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