So, I'd like to conclude with the poem which--
some of you may have been at Herb's class
where I was telling you about the serious side of study
in Rapallo as a student of the "Ezraversity," of Ezra Pound.
But that was not the whole story.
There were other activities, social activities in Rapallo.
And this poem is about them.
It's called, "In Another Country."
And that, of course, is meant in two senses
because I was not only in Italy, but I
think it was probably my first venture
into the country of love, which is another country.
There's a bit of Italian in this,
but I've tried to write it in such a way
that, where necessary, the Italian would be followed
by some English in that position so that you
can get the tune of it.
The first section is called "Tesoro,"
which means "treasure."
"Tesoro, she would say, with that succulent accent
on the middle o as if she were holding something
as precious as the golden testicle of a god."
The second section begins with the legend
that Mussolini's publicity people wrote up all
over the slogan, that he wrote up all over signboards
everywhere all over Italy.
"Credere," believe; "obbedire," obey; "combattere," fight.
"I guess it was the same then everywhere all over Italy,
in big white letters, painted up on walls and especially
on railroad retaining walls, at the grade crossings.
And to make a good record and show how things were in ordine
and the trains were running on time,
they would let down the crossing bars 10 minutes
before the trains came.
So people were backed up on both sides in crowds,
shouting across to each other, all a big joke.
And that's how we met, where we first saw each other.
I was on that upside walking back to town from swimming,
and she was on the other with her bicycle heading
to the cove, wearing her tight white sweater with nothing
under it and her gray checked skirt and sandals.
era come Beatrice al ponte quando ci vidono la prima volta
there by that bridge in Florence,
where he first saw her.
Later one day, she brought her schoolbook of Dante
so I could see the famous painting.
com' allora al ponte Only neither of us were shy.
First, we were looking, then we were smiling.
And when the train had finally passed
and we met in the middle, I just took hold of her bicycle
and walked beside her.
'But you have swum already, I can see.
Your hair's all wet.
Why do you want to go again?'
'Why do you think?'
Ma brutta 'I'm ugly.'
sono brutta And at the cove, she changed behind a big rock
into her suit.
It was white and tight, too.
Ti piace? she asked, 'You like it?'
The water was very clear that day, and the rocks were warm.
There was a German boy who came nosing around,
but she wasn't nice to him, and he went away.
After we swam, we sat on the rocks sunning and talking.
I only knew a few words of Italian then,
but we found another language that did well enough.
I draw a picture of the word I wanted, with my finger
on her thigh, or she on mine.
The sky was clear, the air was soft with just a little breeze.
I was 18, she was 15, and her name was Leontina.
Going back to town, she had me ride her on the handlebars
and put her arms around my neck to keep from falling off.
She didn't want an ice cream.
Mama m'aspetta alla casa 'My mother's waiting for me,
so I'd better go.
Just leave me here.'
ma se tu vuoi 'sta sera dopo la passeggiata al angola
'near the newsstand.'
quando sono le nove 'Yes,' I said.
'Yes, I'll be there.'
alle nove 'After the church bells sound at nine.' "
The next section is Giacomino.
That's little James.
That's me.
" 'Giancomo', she called.
vieni qua splashing her arms in the clear green water.
vieni subito And so I followed her,
swimming around a point of rock to the next cove.
vieni qua non hai paura And she slipped
like an eel beneath the surface, down
through the sunken entrance to a hidden grotto
where the light was soft and green on fine-grained sand.
e bello, no?' 'Here we can be together by ourselves.
Nobody else has ever been here with me.
It's my secret place.
Here, kiss me here.
I found it when I was a little girl, now touch me here.'
e strana questa luce com' un altro mondo 'So strange,
this light.
Am I all green?
It's like another world.
Does that feel good?
Don't be afraid.' siamo incantati 'We're enchanted
in another world.
Oh, Giacomino, Giacomino.' sai tu amore come lui e bello
com'e carino sai quanto ti mi dai piacere?
sai come lei ti vuol' bene?
'Lie still.' non andare via 'Just lie still, lie still.' "
Then the last section is "tornerai," will you come back?
" 'Tornerai,' she wept.
'Will you come back for me?'
I wanted to slip away, but she found out the time of my train
and was there in the compartment wearing her Sunday dress
and the Milanese scarf I had given her.
Tornerai amore mio 'Will you come back and bring me
to America?'
Crying and pressing, pressing my hands against her breasts,
my face wet with her tears and her kisses
till the train stopped at Geneva and they
made her get off because I couldn't buy her a ticket."
[APPLAUSE]