Patrick Williamson translated Erri De Luca

Patrick Williamson‘s translation of one of Erri De Luca’s poems is now online here.

HANDBOOK FOR THE NEW YEAR’S TOAST BY ERRI DE LUCA

I drink to those on duty, on the train, in hospital,
in a kitchen, hotel, radio station, foundry,
at sea, on a plane, on the motorway,
to those who spend this night without a greeting,
I drink to the next moon, to the pregnant girl,
to those who made a promise, to those who kept it,
to those who paid the bill, to those who are paying it,
to those who are not invited anywhere,

to the foreigner who learns Italian,
to those who study music, to those who can dance the tango,
to those who got up to give up their seats,
to those who can’t get up, to those who blush,
to those who read Dickens, to those who cry at the cinema,
to those who protect the woods, to those who put out fires,
to those who have lost everything and start again,
to the teetotaller who makes an effort to share,
to those who are a nobody for their loved one,

to those who suffer pranks and reacting will be heroes one day,
to those who forget the offence, to those who smile in photographs,
to those who go on foot, to those who can go barefoot,
to those who give back from what they had,
to those who don’t understand jokes,
to the insult that is the last,
to the draws, to the x’s of the betting slip,
to those who take a step forward and thus unravel the line,
to those who want to do it and then can’t,
finally I drink to those who have the right to a toast tonight
and among these those who have not found theirs.

Italian poem:

PRONTUARIO PER IL BRINDISI DI CAPODANNO DI ERRI DE LUCA

Bevo a chi è di turno, in treno, in ospedale,
cucina, albergo, radio, fonderia,
in mare, su un aereo, in autostrada,
a chi scavalca questa notte senza un saluto,
bevo alla luna prossima, alla ragazza incinta,
a chi fa una promessa, a chi l’ha mantenuta,
a chi ha pagato il conto, a chi lo sta pagando,
a chi non è invitato in nessun posto,

allo straniero che impara l’italiano,
a chi studia la musica, a chi sa ballare il tango,
a chi si è alzato per cedere il posto,
a chi non si può alzare, a chi arrossisce,
a chi legge Dickens, a chi piange al cinema,
a chi protegge i boschi, a chi spegne un incendio,
a chi ha perduto tutto e ricomincia,
all’astemio che fa uno sforzo di condivisione,
a chi è nessuno per la persona amata,

a chi subisce scherzi e per reazione un giorno sarà eroe,
a chi scorda l’offesa, a chi sorride in fotografia,
a chi va a piedi, a chi sa andare scalzo,
a chi restituisce da quello che ha avuto,
a chi non capisce le barzellette,
all’ultimo insulto che sia l’ultimo,
ai pareggi, alle ics della schedina,
a chi fa un passo avanti e così disfa la riga,
a chi vuol farlo e poi non ce la fa,
infine bevo a chi ha diritto a un brindisi stasera
e tra questi non ha trovato il suo.