booksofart

William Butler Yeats – Under Ben Bulben

Carlos Schwabe, Death of the Grave Digger, 1895 Many times man lives and dies   Between his two eternities,   That of race and that of soul,   And ancient Ireland knew it all.   Whether man dies in his bed   Or the rifle knocks him dead,A brief parting from those dear   Is the worst man has to fear.   Though grave-diggers’ toil is long,   Sharp their spades, …

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William Butler Yeats – Dopo un lungo silenzio / After long silence

Louis-Jean Lagrenée, Psyche surprises the sleeping Cupid, 1769 Speech after long silence; it is right,all other lovers being estranged or dead,unfriendly lamplight hid under its shade,the curtains drawn upon unfriendly night,that we descant and yet again descantupon the supreme theme of Art and Song:bodily decrepitude is wisdom; youngwe loved each other and were ignorant.  Parole …

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William Butler Yeats – La veste / A coat

Franz von Stuck, Bathsheba, 1912 I made my song a coat covered with embroideries out of old mythologies from heel to throat; but the fools caught it, wore it in the world’s eyes as though they’d wrought it. Song, let them take itfor there’s more enterprise in walking naked. Feci al mio canto una vestecoperta di ricamitratti da miti antichi,dai talloni alla gola.Ma …

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William Butler Yeats – Olio e sangue / Oil and blood

Edvard Munch, Vampire, 1893 In tombs of gold and lapis lazuliBodies of holy men and women exudeMiraculous oil, odour of violet.But under heavy loads of trampled clayLie bodies of the vampires full of blood;Their shrouds are bloody and their lips are wet.  In tombe d’oro e lapislazzulicorpi di santi e sante trasudanoolio miracoloso, odore di …

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William Butler Yeats – Tre Movimenti / Three Movements

Jan Van Kessel, Harbour Scene with Fish, 1660 Shakespearean fish swam the sea, far away from land;romantic fish swam in nets coming to the hand;what are all those fish that lie gasping on the strand? I pesci shakespeariani nuotavano in mare, lontano dalla terra;i pesci romantici nuotavano in reti che facevano capo a una mano;che …

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William Butler Yeats – La seconda venuta / The Second Coming

Giovanni da Modena, The Hell (detail), 1412 c. Turning and turning in the widening gyre   The falcon cannot hear the falconer;Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere   The ceremony of innocence is drowned;The best lack all conviction, while the worst   Are full of passionate intensity.Surely some …

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