Claire Roberts

Claire Roberts Poems

Claire Roberts Biography

Claire Roberts’s poetry has appeared in a number of Australian journals including Arena, Cordite, Bluepepper and Southerly. She is completing her first collection titled ‘The Fragile Season’.)

The Best Poem Of Claire Roberts

Old Winter

Desire for your fair hands
In the half-light of the flame:
I learn of the bay oaks, of the roses;
Of death. Old winter.

The birds looked for the grain
And were suddenly in snow;
Like utterances.
A little sun, a shining angel,
And then the fog; and the trees
And we became air in the morning.

'Antico Inverno' translated from Italian by Salvatore Quasimodo.

Note: the literal translation of 'antico' is clearly ancient however, the English word 'old' is a better substitute here in order to maintain Salvatore Quasimodo's musicality.

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