Abbrúsciala
Abbrúsciala
Sta lettera ca te sto screvenno,
Mo ca stammo luntane,
Manco 'o suonno
Nci'ha da aunì.
Abbrúsciala
Int'a nu fuoco ardente,
Miéttela llà mmiezo
Int' 'o core d' 'e sciamme
Ca nun fujesse.
Abbrúsciala
E nun te ne ncarrecà chiù
'E stu penziero
Ca nun maje nce avev' 'a stà
Ma ca nc'è caduto.
Abbrúsciala,
Abbrúsciala...
Tu pe me.
Burn It
Burn it
This letter that I’m writing you,
Now that we’re far apart,
Not even dreams
Can unite us.
Burn it
In an ardent fire,
Put it there in the middle
In the heart of the flames
So that it not escape.
Burn it
And don’t bother any more about
This thought
Which shouldn’t have been
But which fell upon us.
Burn it,
Burn it...
You for me.
* 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.
