Categories: POETRY

A MAP OF EUROPE – Poetry by Derek Walcott

A MAP OF EUROPE > As the idea of Leonardo, where gape passages on water droplets, or the dragons lie down in spots, my crumbling wall, into the air clear draw, in the mood of the vein, a map of Europe. On the sill painting, golden rim of a can shines as along a lake of Canaletto in the evening, or how that rock hermitage, where in his cell of light, Jerome prays, haggard, that His kingdom comes to the distant city. The light becomes quiet. In its circle, everything is. A cracked cup, a broken bread, become tarnished urn itself, as in Chardin, or in the clear alcohol by Vermeer, not objects of our pity. Not “Lacrimae Rerum”, not art. Nothing but the gift of seeing things as they are: halved from the darkness, from which they know not to come off.

UNA MAPPA DI EUROPA > Come l’idea di Leonardo, dove passaggi s’aprono su gocce d’acqua, o i draghi s’accovacciano a macchie, il mio scrostato muro nell’aria chiara disegna, di vena in vena, una mappa d’Europa. Sul davanzale dipinto, l’orlo dorato d’una lattina brilla, come lungo un lago di Canaletto la sera, o come quell’eremo di roccia, dove nella sua cella di luce, Gerolamo prega, sparuto, che il Suo regno giunga alla lontana città. La luce si fa quiete. Nel suo cerchio tutto è. Una tazzina crepata, un pane rotto, un’urna scalfita diventano sé, come in Chardin, o nel chiaro alcolico di Vermeer, non oggetti della nostra pietà. Non “lacrimae rerum”, non arte. Nient’altro che il dono di vedere le cose come sono, dimezzate dal buio, da cui non sanno staccarsi.

(Derek Walcott)

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