Giorgio Vigolo’s “Knowledge Tree”

This one by Giorgio Vigolo, “Knowledge Tree,” is hard to find and, in fact, in my superficial Google search, I could only find one Italian-only version, no dual language versions. However, it is a good poem and deserves some broader recognition.
My Translation
Knowledge Tree
The heart is cluttered with bitter wreckage,
Weighing the breast like bills unpaid
And anchors to the stunning earth
The thoughts that leap in wind
With thirsty summits eager for air.
The passion roots me to the ground,
Balancing the mourning, and soaring
Like a plane with wings breathing the foliage.
But its balance for me is the secret
Knowledge tree; and, if the light
Drinks the air, a deeper filter
Draws from the earth and nourishes death.
Original Italian
albero conoscente
il cuore ingombro di relitti amari
pesa nel petto come grave mora
e ànchora alla terra i favolosi
pensieri che s’immergono nel vento
con assetate cime avide d’aria.
Le passioni mi radicano al suolo,
contrappeso di lutto, esse, all’aereo
sorger d’alate respiranti foglie.
Ma così s’equilibra in me l’arcano
albero conoscente; e, se la luce
beve dall’aria, un più profondo filtro
trae dalla terra e lo nutrisce morte.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.