@ foto di William Willinghton
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“Elsa Wertman” – testo inglese con traduzione in italiano a fronte. Poesia n°109 – Spoon River
I WAS a peasant girl from Germany,
Ero una giovane contadina della Germania,
Blue-eyed, rosy, happy and strong.
occhi blu, rosea, felice e forte.
And the first place I worked was at Thomas Greene’s.
E il primo posto in cui lavorai fu da Thomas Greene’s.
On a summer’s day when she was away
Un giorno d’estate quando le era via
He stole into the kitchen and took me
lui si intrufolò in cuicina e mi prese
Right in his arms and kissed me on my throat,
tra le sue braccie e mi baciò sulla gola,
I turning my head. Then neither of us
voltai la testa. Dopo nessuno di noi
Seemed to know what happened.
sembrava sapere cosa fosse successo.
And I cried for what would become of me.
E piansi per quello che sarebbe stato di me.
And cried and cried as my secret began to show.
E piansi e piansi sempre più come il mio segreto iniziava a vedersi.
One day Mrs. Greene said she understood,
Un giorno Mrs. Greene disse che sapeva,
And would make no trouble for me,
e non mi avrebbe fatto passare dei guai,
And, being childless, would adopt it.
e, non avendo figli, l’avrebbe adottato.
(He had given her a farm to be still.)
(Per tenerla lui le avrebbe donato una fattoria.)
So she hid in the house and sent out rumors,
Così si chiuse in casa e sparse la voce,
As if it were going to happen to her.
come se stesse per succedere a lei.
And all went well and the child was born—They were so kind to me.
E tutto andava bene e il bambino nacqua – furono così gentili con me.
Later I married Gus Wertman, and years passed.
Dopo sposai Gus Wertman, e gli anni passarono.
But—at political rallies when sitters-by thought I was crying
Ma a un comizio, quando gli altri spettatori credevano che stessi piangendo
At the eloquence of Hamilton Greene—
per l’eloquenza di Hamilton Greene-
That was not it.
Loro sbagliavano.
No! I wanted to say:
No! Io avrei voluto dire:
That’s my son! That’s my son!
È mio figlio! È mio figlio!
<<< Torna al libro tradotto in italiano (elenco poesie)
“Elsa Wertman” – testo solamente in inglese – poesia n°109 – Spoon River
I WAS a peasant girl from Germany,
Blue-eyed, rosy, happy and strong.
And the first place I worked was at Thomas Greene’s.
On a summer’s day when she was away
He stole into the kitchen and took me
Right in his arms and kissed me on my throat,
I turning my head. Then neither of us
Seemed to know what happened.
And I cried for what would become of me.
And cried and cried as my secret began to show.
One day Mrs. Greene said she understood,
And would make no trouble for me,
And, being childless, would adopt it.
(He had given her a farm to be still.)
So she hid in the house and sent out rumors,
As if it were going to happen to her.
And all went well and the child was born—They were so kind to me.
Later I married Gus Wertman, and years passed.
But—at political rallies when sitters-by thought I was crying
At the eloquence of Hamilton Greene—
That was not it.
No! I wanted to say:
That’s my son! That’s my son!