THE HOLY LANDESSENTIAL POETS SERIES E11 Canada Guerin Fatons le acknowledges che financial suppor of he Goveranent of Canada through the Hook Publishing industry Developmenr Program (BPIDP) Guernica Eavion ne acknowledges the suppor of he University ‘of California, Sun Dig, This publication was suse by the Miner of Foreign Airs (Goveenment of tly) thzsug the Iavea eis di Clr in Frouo (Calo Coen: Dice) ALDA MERINI THE HOLY LAND ‘THANSLATED AND WITH AN AFTERWORD BY STEPHANIE JED AND PASQUALE VERDICCHIO ® GUERNICA Tononto-Burrato LancasreR (UK)Ocal ice: Vat amare Copyright © 1991, by Einaudi Editors Teanlton and neraderont 7002, by Stephanie Jed, Parqele ‘Verdiechio and Guernica Editions Ine A ies eseeved The we of ay par of hi publics, ‘reproduce eansmied in any Frm or by any means. lets mechanic phoeacopying. recarding a otherwise sored ia -etiealsycem, wthoue che prot conten ofthe publisher sn Ingingemen ofthe opytighe lw Antonie B Alfano, dior ‘Guernica Eaiians Ie PO Box 117. Stacia P, Tororo (ON), Canada MSS 255 2250 Miliary Resd, Tonawanda, NY. 11150-6000 5 & Gazal, Falcon Havre, Quen Squte Lancet LAY IRN U K Printed in Canad Typeset by Sina Legal Deposie — Fourch Queer ‘Nocona Libary of Canada Leary of Congres Casey Card Number: 2001095241 Meri, Ald The holy and (Essen pots series 111) Teantvion of Vuot amore ISBN 1-55071-139.0 1 Bible OT Execs - Pot. 2 Jesus CChrse-Temptation-Posey 1 Jed, Stephanie UL Verdiehi, Pasquale TI Tide 1V. Seses PQH73 E74V8613 2001 $51°914 C2001-902176-2 Contenes Ayam i. word grater than Tu ayn grt caning board Th victine acenilate at the pate Thought Chase no mere words A durrny ands my ens Afri lita place Near she Jordan Ths dtr. hardens in te night bs nian ave the ctnongh of te od 1a bird sae fallen into en abyemaltnep 1 (Our Triumph Ths most bantiflps Be cals save gras Maybe one ba 20 Be tang Whew F came on writen aunts dau fr yo ‘Western Pass hy aay ens ovr the gardens ofthe asta Canzone in memariaes This bell bad falls Aaron's Words 1 a erty that main more sited Ese mn ny sta eval ron rhe wind The Holy Lind Th cies of sg ave clad Revolt Toilecce Body, gray mockery The clear morning arrivesVerses are tbe cased dist Yeu were my sath, my limit We hae or sleples nighar Yestrday Uuffered pain Ove moe colorless maraing ita bonfire (Ob, if eld at lact ‘The nated shin tenbling My fire ef of my thera (Orphise and Folly, Profane end Holy a 2 4B “4 4% 46 48 49 3Asylum is a word greaeer than she obscure chasm of dreams, and yer there comes somecime a blue filament or a nightingale’ diseane song or your mouth opens bicing inco the blue the ferocious Lie of life ‘Or the picying hand ofa paciene fises slowly co your window spells your name and finally with the filehy number undone you find once again all of your life's seriousnessThe asylum is. great sounding board and delirium becomes an echo anonymity 2 measure, the asylum is Moune Sinai, damned, upon which you receive the tablets ofa law uunknowa to man The wictims accumulate naked perfect faces closed in ignorance, paradoxical hands clutching an iron bee, and outside, the passing cain sun-washed and indistinc light, a burse of proper light upon my offended margin cheThoughs, {have no more words But what are you anyway? something which cries ac times, and at times sheds light Thoughe, where ae your oots? In my cetzy soul ot in my ruined womb? You ate so bold voracious, you consume every distance; tell me co carn 15 Orpheus did slancing back ac his Eusydice, and so thae Tcan lose you in the cave of madness. ‘A harmony sounds in my veins, then like Daphne I change into a call eee, Apollo, so that you may not stop me Bur [ama Daphne blinded by the smoke of madness Thave no leaves no flowers; still while I transmigrace a deep light is born and in branching solicude Teavelop a trad of GodsAffori 2 diseane place immersed ia fileh, haere, we know beams and dootbolts and questions and so, so many feats, ‘Affori, a new place which, ina ficcing moment, sends a bare ay into your silene cell Near che Jordan Hours wasted in vain in the asylum’s gacdens, back and forth along chose walls made fierce with flowers, all of us lost ina fleecing dream of ralicy which some chimaera tossed behind our backs And after meeting some patients smil a the fake friendliness Time wasced in whirling ehoughts, hedged in behind the bars Tike naleed swallows Then we listened to sermons, sve muleiplied the fishes, down near the Jordan, bbuc Cherise was noe there: he had uprooted ws from the world like dreadful weedslucky comes wih sof steps ou sneering, he enamine che pees sede, then he prepares or you — co oversheln your slep and in out am | he asia vein which st up | your raking poe’ blood Then che doctor on dy cy gos av confident, devascated a by his ncedible mednes andi seep you sare seth bs, dee, tnd you sing co youself elds of trmeve ( . | i 16 The foing ace the steengeh ofthe soul, tacit, obscure, a blossoming of leaves from which the sed of life emerges The loins are the torment, are poetry and parsnaia, delicium of men Lose in che jungle of che senses, the soul paved with poison, nevertheless God can grow from the loins and Stine Augustine and Abelard, then the mixture of voices falls upon our flesh £0 teat from us the obscure moan ‘of births from the beyondvas bind {hove fallen into an abysmal tap with awhiee, gracious bess, asina boggy wel someone slit my ehoat © who will be able ro save me to have a good laugh, from this insidious vision Idon't know. which darkens a fickle love? Twas a great albatross At the bottom of che well Circling over the seas jonguils grow from shadows Someone stopped my journey and my bow! rss above ce wacers showing no kindness or speech From the hotid plants, a brave chameleon Buc even knocked co the ground regards this, my secee precipice Tsing fo you now ry songs of loveThave wrieren arduous judgments for you, have written for you my whole decline; ‘now Iam nothing, and nothing can save ‘my loyal voice; my skin can shine ‘ow sith only one song and itis a love song which ripens my eternity without bounds Our Triumph The fooe af madness fs scained blue, wich ie we have wandered ‘on che mouncains of the Ascension, there is nothing divine aboue the faoe of madness bout che mind carries us along the white slopes ‘where snow billows the eldesberey grows, a lamb moans; wwe have crossed bridges ‘examined measures, land when the dark shadow of delirium was pressing deep inco che neck ‘we would bow ous hesd as iFundee a la, and we have assembled the Mosaic law by drawing fragments from tinged-in plateaus look, our triumph ‘comes down from the mountains like a broad waverfall; we have remained angels like those who, one day ar dawn, grew wingsThe mose beautfial poems with bleeding knees and the mind sharpened by myscery The most beaucifal poems are weitten in front of an empey altar, surrounded by agents of divine foly. So that, criminally insane as you are, you dictare verses co humaniey, che verses of redemption ‘and biblical prophecies, and you ate Jonah's brother Bur God did noe descend and did noe damn you in the Promised Land Where the golden apples and the reee of knowledge geow Bu you did, you damn hour by hour your song, because you have descended into limbo, where you inhale ehe absinthe of sucvival denied Be calm, sweee geass that climbs feorn the earth, ddo nor sound the render harmony of living things, bice away your growth because my hear is sad, it eannor give harmony Be calm, green grass do nor climb on the graves ‘with your song of light, ch stay underground, ude inside your seed, as do who never lets the blade of one word grow‘Maybe one has ro be seung by 4 poisonous bee in order co send messages and pray co che stones thar they might send you light; ‘his is why F wene down to the gardens ofthe asylum, this is why ar night I would jump the forbidden fences and steal all che roses and then before dying to my day ‘of nigh, oF long night of absent solicude, or devastated gardens where only Flived because romorrow I would be