Duje
Pígliate chist’ammore
Ca te rummane ncanna,
Cávera e líqueta,
Ca sciulia e passa
Ca te cade nzì ‘o vellícolo,
Acchiáppate a stu pilo ‘e bene
Tujo ca priesto a matina
Te fa schiattà cuntenta,
Ca te spremme ‘e carne,
Ca stracqua ‘a sera te fa cadè.
Two
Take this love
That leaves you
Warm and liquid in your neck,
That slips and passes
That falls all the way to your navel,
Grasp this bit of your
Love that early in the morning
Makes you rage happily,
That wrings out your flesh,
That tired in the evening makes you fall.
* Self-published in 2010, Meridiunalata / Southernade is a treasury of poems gleaned from Cav. Sant'Elia's previous collections (Nchiuso dint''o presente, 'A cuntrora, and 'O pino e l'éllera), which were circulated among friends in New York City and Naples. Special thanks to Cav. Sant'Elia for allowing us to reprint his poetry and translations.
