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Blind Jack
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I had fiddled all day at the county fair.
But driving home “Butch” Weldy and Jack McGuire,
Who were roaring full, made me fiddle and fiddle
To the song of Susie Skinner, while whipping the horses
Till they ran away.
Blind as I was, I tried to get out
As the carriage fell in the ditch,
And was caught in the weels and killed.
There’s a blind man here with a brow
As big and white as a cloud.
And all we fiddlers, from highest to lowest,
Writers of music and tellers of stories,
Sit at his feet,
And hear him sing of the fall of Troy.
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Jack u Cecu
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Avìu sunatu tutta a ghjurnata à a fiera.
Ma vultendu in casa, « Butch » Weldy and Jack McGuire,
Briachi à tappu, ani vulsutu ch’e sunessi torra
A canzona di Susie Skinner duranti ch’iddi stafilàiani i cavadda
Sin’à ch’iddi ci scappèssini da i mani.
Cecu com’e eru, aghju circu à saltà
Duranti chì u carrettu cascàia in u fossu
E socu statu tumbu, sfracicatu da i roti.
Ci hè quì un cecu da a capiddera
Zippa è bianca com’è un nìvulu.
Tutti quanti no semu, sunadori da u più forti à u più dèbuli
Scrittor’ di mùsica è contastodii
Pusemu à i so peda
È pustiemu quand’iddu canta a caduta di Troia.
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in --- Spoon River Anthology --- ed. McMillan --- N.Y --- 1973
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trad. Stefanu Cesari
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technorati tags: edgar lee masterspoon rivercorsican poetry