A simple experience - mingling with the crowd supporting the local soccer team (la Triestina) - blossoms into a wonderful poem, amongst the best known by Umberto Saba.
 |
| Soccer Team from Trieste, Triestina, 1930 |
City team, by Umberto Saba
Me too amongst the many I salute you, red-
halberdiers,
spat
from the native land, by all the people
loved.
In trepidation I follow your game.
Unaware
you express with it ancient
marvelous things
on the green turf, in the open air, in the clear
wintry suns.
The anguishes
that whiten the hair all of a sudden,
are from you so far away! The glory
gives you a fleeting
smile: the best it can offer. Hugs
from one another, merry gestures.
Young are you all, for the mother alive;
the winds carries you in her defense. He loves you
for this reason too the poet, from the others
differently - equally moved.
Translated in English by LiteraryJoint
Available as e-book on Amazon Kindle, iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch , NOOK Book and on Lulu.
Below, the last, unique appearance on video of the poet Umberto Saba, already as an old man, reading this poem during an interview with the Italian National Television.
- Squadra paesana
- Anch'io tra i molti vi saluto, rosso-
alabardati,
sputati
dalla terra natia, da tutto un popolo
amati.
Trepido seguo il vostro gioco.
Ignari
esprimete con quello antiche cose
meravigliose
sopra il verde tappeto, all'aria, ai chiari
soli d'inverno.
Le angoscie
che imbiancano i capelli all'improvviso,
sono da voi così lontane! La gloria
vi dà un sorriso
fugace: il meglio onde disponga. Abbracci
corrono tra di voi, gesti giulivi.
Giovani siete, per la madre vivi;
vi porta il vento a sua difesa. V'ama
anche per questo il poeta, dagli altri
diversamente - ugualmente commosso.
Thanks for making this poem available.
ReplyDeleteHey, thank you for stopping by :-)
Delete