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Monday, April 07, 2008

An orchid borrowed

This drawing is my visual tribute to the poem L'Orchidea by Hanna Filo at Amori, Poesie, Arte, Chat. Below you can read the provocative verse in both the original Italian and an English translation, to which I contributed.

L'Orchidea (Lettera d'amore)
by Hanna Filo

Essere una donna, sentirsi donna... si.
Frammenti di pensiero, nemmeno una parola.
Compiere una fantasia ha le sue forme. Orlo di terra da cui liquida cado.Vieni, insegnami il tuo modo, riempi gli anfratti altrimenti vuoti. Vieni e resta e non morire dentro di me. Sollievo alle braccia non più vuote, ma che tendono, cingono troppo, oltre la forma e suono.
Catturo sotto le palpebre e sigillo tuo sguardo più bello.
Nessun mio bacio senza di te esiste, ne nessun Klimt, Boudelaire ne Mozart l'han saputo.
Paradiso precipitato, rovesciato...
E perché sapere?
Via i nomi che compongono mondo. Non più tocchi, ma colpi delle note alte, arcuate. Fronde plaudenti, il flash tra diademi dei pini sull'attenti. Non deve aver un nome il mio sussurro che grido, non serve gridare, se disparve l'incanto.
La protuberanza pungente, custodita dentro, racchiusa in una forma breve ma intensa, ove il tuo glande incandescente, saggia e bacia la segreta come una cieca talpa devota.
Erutta!
Stillami dentro il tuo nome - che trabocchi! Lasciami inonda.
Riscuoti la cresta e bruchi e farfalle.
Sollevato sul gomito, guardami ora. Per aprirmi gli occhi, il modo c'è.
E lasciami così-un dipinto su erba, sotto aghi del pino che mente mio nome.
Non sono più quella di prima, ne mai sarò.
Senza la figura verticale, che mondo attenda!
E lasciami li, celebre icona, consacrata e degna -
Impollinata tua Orchidea

The Orchid (A love letter)
by Hanna Filo

To be a woman, feel oneself a woman... yes.
Thought fragments, not even a word.
There are ways to fulfill a fantasy. Brim of the earth from which like liquid I spill. Come, teach me your way, fill the clefts otherwise empty.
Come, stay and do not perish inside me. Relief in arms no longer void, but as they stretch, they surround too much, beyond shape and sound.
Captured under my eyelids, I seal your glance so beautiful
Not one kiss of mine, without you, exists. No one, not Klimt, Boudelaire, nor Mozart have known one.
Paradise fallen, overturned...
And why know?
The hell with the nouns that compose this world. You no longer touch, but strike high notes, bowed. 'PLauded fronds, a flash between crowns of pine trees standing at attention.
No need to name my whisper that I shout. No use shouting, if it breaks the spell.
The stinging bulge, kept inside, locked in, brief yet intense, where your glowing glans tests and kisses the dungeon like a blind, devout mole.
Erupt!
Drip your name inside of me: you're overflowing! Let me be flooded.
You shake the peak, caterpillars and butterflies.
Raised up on your elbow, watch me now. To open up my eyes, there's a way.
And leave me so - a painting laid on grass, under pine needles that lie about my name.
I'm no longer her from before, nor ever will be.
Without standing upright, as the world waits!
And leave me there, famous icon, anointed and worthy -
Pollinated, your orchid

15 comments:

fihanna said...

from this orchid a honey sea flows.........
ASSOLUTAMENTE geniale that pics!!!
ottima traduzione, ti darei NOBEL, Francis!
grazie tante,hanna

BillyWarhol said...

Awesome!!

Lovely Orchid + Poem*

;))

Anonymous said...

Excellent image Francis and I must say...please pass on to Hanna my kudos for an excellent poem. Truly well done. I would love to have her aboard the MW Society but I'm afraid not too many people read Italian other than you. Great job translating. I know that can be difficult to do in order to maintain the essence of the work. I am French/English and find myself having to translate works as well. So I can relate.
Maybe we can invite and you translate? It's an idea.
~JD

fihanna said...

Hi JD!
Francis is a very specialist of capture the essence of the work!!
He has one phenomenal grasp of poet!
Alleluja!

Kim said...

Beautiful as always! The orchid is such a sublime flower and your art does it justice...Bravo!

Francis Scudellari said...

Ciao Hanna,
I'm glad you like the drawing ... and the translation. A Nobel huh? I think that may be a few years off still :).

Francis Scudellari said...

Thanks as always Billy.

Francis Scudellari said...

Hi JD,
It looks like Hanna read your comment, so I won't have to pass along the compliment :). As you know, it's a challenge to capture the balance between the rhythm, image and language. In Italian, and French, things can be said much more elegantly than in English sometimes :). Hanna would make a good candidate for MWS.

Francis Scudellari said...

Thanks Kim. Nature does a much better job with the Orchid than I ever could, so I just tried to capture the essence.

fihanna said...

Well,
Those legs apart...
oscenooooooooo
Nobody has noticed
;PPPPPP

fihanna said...

Scusa Fran, ma vedo anche un bimbo li li in mezzo?

Francis Scudellari said...

I used a photo of an actual orchid as my model (although it was white not pink), but I accentuated certain characteristics and it's obviously very stylized. I'm sure some unintended imagery was able to sneak in, but I was very consciously trying to mirror the poems mingling of the flower and sexuality. There might be a baby mixed in too ;).

kellypea said...

So my glasses are steamed up now. Jeez.

fihanna said...

wasn't she virgin? Orchid,
si

Francis Scudellari said...

Hi Kelly,
I take no credit for the steaming ... I'm a simple translator :).