A Posy (translated by Geoffrey Brock)

A Posy of Pascoli

Translated from the Italian by Geoffrey Brock

Fog

Hide what is far from my eyes,
pale fog, impalpable gray
vapor climbing the light
             of the coming day,
after the storm-streaked night,
             the rockfall skies…

Hide what has gone, and what goes,
hide what lies beyond me…
Let me see only that hedge
             at my boundary,
and this wall, by whose crumbling edge
             valerian grows.

Hide from my eyes what is dead:
the world is drunk on tears…
Show my two peach trees in bloom,
             my two pears,
that spread their sugared balm
             on my black bread.
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