Sicilian Poetry
Sicilian Poetry |
|
Alice Louise Lyons (1926 - 2004) | |
 |
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 AutunnuA 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... |
POSSESSIONAutumn walks the hills with streaming hairHer 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 |
CANZUNAIu puru abitavi in Arcadiadunni 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. |
SONGI, too, have lived in ArcadyAnd 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 cinniriTu 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. |
FISHERWOMANI've seen you when with anger ashy greyYou 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 |