That negligible bit of sand which slides
Without a sound and settles in the hourglass,
And the fleeting impressions on the fleshy-pink,
The perishable fleshy-pink, of a cloud...
...
Variations On Nothing
That negligible bit of sand which slides
Without a sound and settles in the hourglass,
And the fleeting impressions on the fleshy-pink,
The perishable fleshy-pink, of a cloud...
Then a hand that turns over the hourglass,
The going back for flowing back, of sand,
The quiet silvering of a cloud
In the first few lead-gray seconds of dawn...
The hand in shadow turned the hourglass,
And the negligible bit of sand which slides
And is silent, is the only thing now heard,
And, being heard, doesn't vanish in the dark.
only 1 poem by Ungaretti is posted at PoemHunter..! ? what a shame!
2 more poems by Ungaretti: ''Mattina'' ['Morning'] M’illumino d’immenso - I illuminate (myself) with immensity . [written on Janury 1917, during World War 1 - it's about the desire of searching for a renovated harmony with the universe] - - - - - - - - - ''Soldati'' ['Soldiers'] Si sta come d'autunno sugli alberi le foglie (Here we are like leaves on trees, in Autumn) . [ a famous poem written in July 1918, during World War 1 ]