"Nostalgia," by Vincenzo Cardarelli; "Nostalgia," by Vincenzo Cardarelli, English version, translated by LiteraryJoint

The fresco of Velia Velcha, one of the masterpieces of Etruria's funeral art. Velia Velcha, as pictured on the right wall of Orcus I, ca. 325 BC.

Nostalgia

High on cliffs 

beaten by winds,

is a leafy cemetery:

a Christian oasis in Tatar's Etruria.

Down there is the gorgeous

young woman of the Velchas, (*)

who still lives in the Tomb of the Orcus.

It is the gentle bed

of the Girl

just nearby.

Legions of dead descended

into that ancient earth where I hoped

to sleep one day and grow roots.

Oh, to be able to bury

in the silent city

together with myself the fable

of my life!

Not to be else than a corroded stone,

a name that is canceled,

and sleep without memory in the womb

of the homeland as if I had never

been separated from it.

Yet in the extreme gasp

I might be deluded.

I will die when and where

the fate wants.

Perhaps, better befits the vagrant,

who left the fatherly dwelling fall behind,

to be dispersed.

And that to his tantalized bones remains
the yearning, the desire of return.

From the collection "Poesie," 1949

   (*) The Tomb of Orcus (Italian: Tomba dell'Orco), sometimes called the Tomb of Murina (Italian: Tomba dei Murina), is a 4th-century BC Etruscan hypogeum (burial chamber) in Tarquinia, Italy. Discovered in 1868, it displays Hellenistic influences in its remarkable murals, which include the portrait of Velia Velcha, an Etruscan noblewoman, and the only known pictorial representation of the demon Tuchulcha. In general, the murals are noted for their depiction of death, evil, and unhappiness.

    Because the tomb was built in two sections at two stages, it is sometimes referred to as the Tombs of Orcus I and II; it is believed to have belonged to the Murina family, an offshoot of the Etruscan Spurinnae. The foundation is inscribed with the following enigmatic phrase:

 “ LARΘIALE HVLΧNIESI MARCESIC CALIAΘESI MVNSLE NACNVAIASI ΘAMCE LE... ”

From "Vincenzo Cardarelli: The Forgotten amongst the Great. A Collection of the Best Poems by Vincenzo Cardarelli, Translated in English," available as e-book on Amazon Kindle, iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, on NOOK Book, on Kobo, and as printed, traditional edition through Lulu.

 

Nostalgia

Alto su rupe,

battuto dai venti,

un cimitero frondeggia:

cristiana oasi nel Tartaro etrusco.

Là sotto è la fanciulla

bellissima dei Velcha,

che vive ancora nella Tomba dell’Orco.

E’ il giaciglio gentile

della Pulzella

poco discosto.

Legioni di morti calarono

in quell’antica terra ove sperai

dormire un giorno e rimetter radici.

Oh poter seppellire

nella città silente

insiem con me la favola

di mia vita!

Non esser più che una pietra corrosa,

un nome cancellato,

e riposar senza memoria in grembo

alla terra natia come se mai

me ne fossi scostato.

Ma nel sospiro estremo

sarò forse deluso.

Io morrò dove e quando

il fato vorrà.

Meglio forse al randagio

che lasciò il patrio asilo

cader per via conviene, esser disperso.

E resti all’ossa inappagate il fremito,

il desio del ritorno.

Dalla raccolta "Poesie," 1949