Federico Garcia Lorca – Serenata (Homage to Lope de Vega)

Robert McGinnis, On the run, 1967

By the river banks
 the night is wetting itself
 and on Lolita’s breasts
 the branches die of love.
The branches die of love.
The naked night sings
 over the March bridgeheads.
Lolita washes her body
 with brine and tuberoses.
The branches die of love.
The night of aniseed and silver
 shines on the rooftops.
Silver of streams and mirrors.
Aniseed of your white thighs.
The branches die of love.

Lungo le rive del fiume
 la notte si sta bagnando
 e sui seni di Lolita
 muoiono d’amore i rami…
La notte nuda
 canta sui ponti di marzo.
Lolita lava il suo corpo
 con acqua salmastra e nardi.
Muoiono d’amore i rami.
Luccica in alto sui tetti
 la notte d’argento e d’anice.
Argenti di rivi e specchi
 anice di cosce candide.
Muoiono d’amore i rami.