Mountebanks
On the plains a band of clowns
Skirt the gardens, walk on down
Past the graying inns they lurch
Across hamlets with no church
And the children, look, they’re leading
The others follow on, they’re dreaming
All the fruit trees bow and sway
As they wave from far away
They lift weights, square ones and round ones
They have gilded hoops, loud drums
Monkey and Bear so smart and so wise
Ask for pennies as they say their goodbyes.
Cristina Viti is a translator, poet, storyteller and lyricist. Born in Milan, she has actively pursued the study of languages since childhood, both within and outside the education system, before and after moving to London. A selection of translation favourites and a collection of poems are forthcoming.
Translated by Cristina Viti
Page(s) 149
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