Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Antonella Anedda

II

I didn’t want names for unknown dead
yet I wanted them to exist
I wanted an anonymous tongue
– mine –
to speak of many anonymous deaths.
What we call peace
has only the brief relief of truce.
If name is also reaching oneself
none of these dead has reached his destiny.

There are but places, those of an island
from which to scan the Continent
the east – its wars
the dust they cast to confuse
the verdict: we are not saved
we do not save
other than with an oblique courage
with a gesture
of minimum light.

II

II

Non volevo nomi per morti sconosciuti
eppure volevo che esistessero
volevo che una lingua anonima
– la mia –
parlasse di molte morti anonime.
Ciò che chiamiamo pace
ha solo il breve sollievo della tregua.
Se nome è anche raggiungere se stessi
nessuno di questi morti ha raggiunto il suo destino.

Non ci sono che luoghi, quelli di un’isola
da cui scrutare il Continente
l'oriente – le sue guerre
la polvere che gettano a confondere
il verdetto: noi non siamo salvi
noi non salviamo
se non con un coraggio obliquo
con un gesto
di minima luce.
Close

II

I didn’t want names for unknown dead
yet I wanted them to exist
I wanted an anonymous tongue
– mine –
to speak of many anonymous deaths.
What we call peace
has only the brief relief of truce.
If name is also reaching oneself
none of these dead has reached his destiny.

There are but places, those of an island
from which to scan the Continent
the east – its wars
the dust they cast to confuse
the verdict: we are not saved
we do not save
other than with an oblique courage
with a gesture
of minimum light.

II

I didn’t want names for unknown dead
yet I wanted them to exist
I wanted an anonymous tongue
– mine –
to speak of many anonymous deaths.
What we call peace
has only the brief relief of truce.
If name is also reaching oneself
none of these dead has reached his destiny.

There are but places, those of an island
from which to scan the Continent
the east – its wars
the dust they cast to confuse
the verdict: we are not saved
we do not save
other than with an oblique courage
with a gesture
of minimum light.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère