Cesare Pavese

BLACK EARTH RED EARTH

Black earth red earth,

you come from the sea,

from the arid green,

where there are ancient

words and bloody toi

land geranium among rocks—

you don't know how much you bring

of toil and words from the sea,

you're rich like a memory,

like the barren countryside,

you hard and sweetest word,

ancient because of the blood

gathered in the eyes;young,

like a fruit that is a memory and a season—

your breath restsunder the sky of August,

the olives of your looksweeten the sea,

and you live and live again

without amazement,

certainlike the earth,

darklike the earth,

a grinder of seasons and dreams

that reveals itself under the moon

to be so old,

just like the hands of your mother,

the bowl of the brazier.

translated by Linh DINH

Cesare Pavese, Lavorare stanca (Work's tiring), poems 1936; expanded edition 1943