("Alba sul Mare - Limoni", painting by Gianpiero Actis, Torino, Italy)
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Credits: "LIMUNI" by Stanley H. Barkan (translation by Marco Scalabrino) is published in "RAISINS WITH ALMONDS - PASSULI CU MENNULI", LEGAS PUBLISHING - NY/ Ontario Canada - 2013
LIMUNI
by Stanley H. Barkan
“Pumadoru! Nèspuli! Limuni!”
cries the Sicilian fruit vendor
as he pulls his fruit-filled cart
over the broken stones
of the streets of Trapani.
Aphrodite rises out of the clouds
at the peak of Erice,
her lemon breasts throbbing
at the sight of visitors
seeking her ancient cure.
No, she will not speak again.
The times of gods and goddesses
are gone with the scirocco.
But the round yellow fruits
blossom all the spring long,
so numerous they fall unpicked
upon the mythic earth.
Basketsful are gathered
only from the fallen fruits
perhaps to sweeten the water.
No one picks them from the branches,
fresh from the trees in Everyone’s garden,
so sweetly nippled waiting for a kiss.
LIMUNI
adattamento in dialetto siciliano
di Marco Scalabrino
“Pumadoru! Nespuli! Limuni!”
abbannìa l’omu strati strati
mentri ammutta tra scaffi vecchi e novi
lu so carrettu chinu d’ogni beni.
Di lu pizzu di Erici umitusu,
Veneri bidduna s’arrusbìgghia
e abballarìa, pi sbriu di li turisti,
li minni soi divini, sempiterni.
Ma nun parra.
Chì li tempi di li Dei
si ni jeru, oramai
cu lu sciloccu.
E ntantu ssi frutti tunni e gialli
chi spuntanu abbunnanti e nuddu cogghi
purriti tummulìanu a li soi pedi,
a carteddi, pi nzuccarari l’acqua.
Nuddu chiù l’ascippa di li rami.
Nuddu chiù, frischi nna l’arvuli,
affùncia a ssi capicchi duri e duci
chi nun aspettanu autru chi … un vasuni.
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