by Giovanni Raboni, translated by Guido Monte
Multilingual Poetry
(Swans - March 14, 2011)
Steady trickle of crimes, something terrible:
lives, jobs are destroyed,
justice and the decency of living together
are destroyed.
[...]
Elsewhere too, I know it,
criminal offence is allowed,
elsewhere too
rites of privilege and impunity
are celebrated,
and declared doctrine of State.
But only we, full
of old faults and remissions,
only we, first annointers and later victims
of the plague of the age
only we suffer the injury added to insult
a mockery added to misfortune.
From Canzone del danno e della beffa by Giovanni Raboni (Ultimi versi, postfazione di P. Valduga, Garzanti, Milano 2006).
The translator thanks Annie Huth.
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