Sicilian Poetry

Terpsichore

Alice Louise Lyons (1926 - 2004)

picture of Alice

Alice Louise Lyons was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts on February 21, 1926. She completed her primary and secondary education in Washington D. C. and received a degree in English Literature from Trinity College. Alice worked for the ASA as a Russian translator before assuming the role of a full time mother. She died in Sacramento, surrounded by her family. Although she was a natural poet, she wore her gift with humility.



Here are several of her poems, rendered into Sicilian by the poet Antonino Provenzano.


"POSSESSION"

Pi li campagni, cu li capiddi chi volanu, va Autunnu
A pedi scavusi cu lu frusciu di la so` vesta bruna.
Fra li russigni arvuli mmenzu a li timpuna
Chiudi l'occhi, stenni li manu e 'ntunnu

Versu nudi campi dunni la tarda estate ripusau
China di gloria di un iornu d'agustu
Cu 'na risata 'ngula, comu l'oru di un vinu di gran gustu
La so' vuci a lu ventu 'È mia! è mia! E suspirau...

POSSESSION

Autumn walks the hills with streaming hair
Her rustling dress is brown her feet are bare
Among the flaming hilltop trees she stands
Closes her eyes and reaches out her hands

Toward barren fields where late sweet summer lay
Full of the glory of an August day-
Laughter in her throat like golden wine
Her voice upon the wind- 'Tis mine! 'Tis mine!
--Rendered into Sicilian by Nino Provenzano --by Alice L. Lyons
  

CANZUNA

Iu puru abitavi in Arcadia
dunni mi 'mbriacau lu nettari di la Primavera
E suspirai lu caluri di li misi di Giugnu
Li cui notti friscusi cantanu morbida musica vera.

Iu puru lassavi trippiari li iorna.
Li lassavi satariari 'nta li manu di lu tempu chi sfuia
E cantavi anni spinzirati accussì
Scrivennu e scrivennu rimi di fuddia.

Un iornu lu tempu si firmau, e puru iu.
'Ntisi comu un sussurru di lu mari,
'na strana tristi musica di munnu
E parsi chi pi mia stava a sunari.

Iu attintai e lu me suli vitti sculuriri
E a chista vita mia mancau la luci.
Pinsai, la risata marca la 'ngnuranza
E l'umanu affuca 'nta un vinu ch'è duci.

Si, abitai in Arcadia dintra casteddi
Fabricati di sonni 'ntallaria.. Mimorii!
Allintavi li petri mastri
Tutti caderu! Mi sippilleru lu cori.

SONG

I, too, have lived in Arcady
And drunk the sweetness of the Spring
And smelled the warmness of its Junes
Whose nights with cool, moist music sing

I, too, have let the dancing days
Go tumbling in the lap of time
And sung the carefree years away
In crazy, never-ending rhyme

But I stopped and thought one timeless day
And heard, as softly as the sea,
The strange, sad music of the world
And thought it played its song for me

I listened, and my sun grew dull
I thought "a shallow life is mine
For laughter marks the idiot gay
And men can choke on too-sweet wine."

Yes, I have lived in Arcady
In castles built of dreamy air
I loosed their cornerstones and when
They fell my heart was buried there.
--Rendered into Sicilian by Nino Provenzano --by Alice L. Lyons
  

"FISHERWOMAN"

T'haiu vistu quannu cu rabbia griggia cinniri
Tu scatinasti la furia supra la rina.
mazziannu cu l'unna la liscia forma lucenti
Scunzannu e sfardannu cu li manu la so facci fina.

Mi scantava di tia, e priava a Diu
Chi isassi la manu pi calmariti ancora
Sa frevi. Nimicu mi fusti, e tu cumannasti.
Iu suggizzioni avia, però ti odiu ora!

Odiu lu to surrisu, 'nta la fluida facci virdi comu giada.
Odiu quannu comu Juda mi vasi li peri
Comu quannu adaciu adaciu lavi la stanca spiaggia.
Odiu quannu saluti, e li to duci iocura insinceri.

Li raggi di suli casiati di unna ad unna
Tu currispunni li palpiti a stu cori, ogni battitu 'na fitta, un pinari.
Tranquillu e pruvucanti mi talii c'aspettu e mi riri.
Ma tu lu sai chi aspettu ammatula, malidittu mari.

FISHERWOMAN

I've seen you when with anger ashy grey
You spent your roaring fury on the sand
And beat its glossy smoothness with the waves
Then spoiled its polished face with tearing hand.

I feared you then and prayed that God would lay
His calming hand upon your fevered brow.
My enemy you held the upper hand,
I only feared you then, I hate you now.

I hate your jade-green smiling liquid face
I hate the Judas-kiss you give my feet
As lazily you wash the tired beach
I hate the gentle, teasing way you greet

The sunbeams, tossing them from wave to wave.
You match my heartbeats, each a throbbing pain
Taunting, calm, You smile and watch me wait
And, cursed sea, you know I wait in vain.
--Rendered into Sicilian by Nino Provenzano --by Alice L. Lyons

 

Provenzano has written two books of poetry. Vinissi... : I'd Love to Come..., edited and translated into Englsh by Gaetano Cipolla, LEGAS, Brooklyn, 1995, and a second book of poetry entitled Tornu / The Return, published by LEGAS in 2009 and translated into English by Gaetano Cipolla.

Return to... Top of Page
or to... Sicilian Poetry

This page is maintained by Art Dieli.
Last updated 3/6/10