by Guido Monte
Multilingual Poetry
English translation by Marie Rennard
Traduction en français par Francesca Saieva
Emptiness © 2010 by Sophie Sherova |
(Swans - March 28, 2011)
since then, at an uncertain hour
quella pena ritorna
[since then, at an uncertain hour
that old suffering returns]
(Primo Levi)
A young moroccan pedlar
His name's Noureddine...
Is selling toys, as everyday
At the market of Street Basile.
It's February in Palermo.
Here are the cops:
Your ID please, and your license!
Nourredine has not the right license
His toys have been sequestrated
And everything recorded
Including the end of his life.
I'm begging you, give me my goods,
I'm begging you, how can I live?
I'm begging you, give me my toys
I'm begging you on bended knee
Give me my toys.
It's all useless
The goods have been sequestered,
And there is nothing more to do.
Move along.
He is lonely and desperate
His name's Noureddine.
He's got nothing
But a tiny jerry can
He slowly spills over himself
Nobody's coming to help him
To save him from the fire.
He's not dead,
He's in hospital, dying.
But the municipal standards
Are safe.
His hold toys in the dark
Silent and meaningless
Stare at the goods cops lock
In here everyday.
un jeune colporteur marocain de la rue,
il s'appelle noureddine...
dans un après-midi de février,
il vend des jouets, comme d'habitude,
au marché de rue basile, à palerme.
mais voilà des agents de police:
s'il vous plaît vos papiers et votre permis!
mais nourredine est un extra-communautaire,
et donc son permis n'est pas régulier:
les jouets ont été mis sous séquestre,
tout a été verbalisé
même la fin de sa vie.
je vous en prie, donnez-moi ma marchandise,
je vous en prie...
comment puis-je vivre?
je vous en prie, je vous en prie,
donnez-moi mes jouets,
donnez-les moi par pietié!
je vous en prie à genoux!
tout est inutile,
la marchandise a été mise sous séquestre,
circulez, s'il vous plaît!
maintenant nourredine est seul, désespéré,
il n'a q'un petit bidon à essence,
alors il s'arrose lentament,
personne n'arrive pour le sauver,
à ce moment-là il prend feu.
noureddine s'est presque tué
il est clouè au lit d'un hôpital,
il va mourir,
mais les normes municipales,
de la vente illégale,
ont été respectées.
maintenant ses jouets se regardent
sans rien dire, dénués de sens
dans la soute à marchandise, presque noire,
que la police ramasse comme d'habitude.
Noureddine Adnane died on February 19, 2011.
Sophie Sherova is a Russian photographer.
Picture: Emptiness by Sophie Sherova (2010).
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Guido Monte on Swans (with bio). Also, please check Guido's entry on Wikipedia. (back)