WEBVTT

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So, I'd like to conclude
with the poem which--

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some of you may have
been at Herb's class

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where I was telling you about
the serious side of study

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in Rapallo as a student of the
"Ezraversity," of Ezra Pound.

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But that was not
the whole story.

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There were other activities,
social activities in Rapallo.

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And this poem is about them.

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It's called, "In
Another Country."

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And that, of course,
is meant in two senses

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because I was not
only in Italy, but I

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think it was probably
my first venture

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into the country of love,
which is another country.

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There's a bit of
Italian in this,

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but I've tried to
write it in such a way

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that, where necessary, the
Italian would be followed

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by some English in that
position so that you

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can get the tune of it.

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The first section
is called "Tesoro,"

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which means "treasure."

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"Tesoro, she would say,
with that succulent accent

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on the middle o as if she
were holding something

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as precious as the golden
testicle of a god."

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The second section
begins with the legend

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that Mussolini's publicity
people wrote up all

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over the slogan, that he
wrote up all over signboards

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everywhere all over Italy.

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"Credere," believe; "obbedire,"
obey; "combattere," fight.

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"I guess it was the same then
everywhere all over Italy,

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in big white letters, painted
up on walls and especially

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on railroad retaining walls,
at the grade crossings.

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And to make a good record and
show how things were in ordine

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and the trains were
running on time,

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they would let down the
crossing bars 10 minutes

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before the trains came.

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So people were backed up
on both sides in crowds,

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shouting across to each
other, all a big joke.

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And that's how we met, where
we first saw each other.

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I was on that upside walking
back to town from swimming,

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and she was on the other
with her bicycle heading

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to the cove, wearing her tight
white sweater with nothing

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under it and her gray
checked skirt and sandals.

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era come Beatrice al ponte
quando ci vidono la prima volta

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there by that
bridge in Florence,

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where he first saw her.

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Later one day, she brought
her schoolbook of Dante

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so I could see the
famous painting.

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com' allora al ponte Only
neither of us were shy.

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First, we were looking,
then we were smiling.

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And when the train
had finally passed

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and we met in the middle, I
just took hold of her bicycle

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and walked beside her.

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'But you have swum
already, I can see.

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Your hair's all wet.

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Why do you want to go again?'

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'Why do you think?'

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Ma brutta 'I'm ugly.'

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sono brutta And at the cove,
she changed behind a big rock

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into her suit.

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It was white and tight, too.

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Ti piace? she asked,
'You like it?'

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The water was very clear that
day, and the rocks were warm.

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There was a German boy
who came nosing around,

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but she wasn't nice to
him, and he went away.

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After we swam, we sat on the
rocks sunning and talking.

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I only knew a few
words of Italian then,

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but we found another language
that did well enough.

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I draw a picture of the word
I wanted, with my finger

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on her thigh, or she on mine.

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The sky was clear, the air was
soft with just a little breeze.

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I was 18, she was 15, and
her name was Leontina.

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Going back to town, she had
me ride her on the handlebars

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and put her arms around my
neck to keep from falling off.

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She didn't want an ice cream.

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Mama m'aspetta alla casa
'My mother's waiting for me,

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so I'd better go.

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Just leave me here.'

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ma se tu vuoi 'sta sera dopo
la passeggiata al angola

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'near the newsstand.'

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quando sono le
nove 'Yes,' I said.

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'Yes, I'll be there.'

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alle nove 'After the church
bells sound at nine.' "

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The next section is Giacomino.

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That's little James.

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That's me.

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" 'Giancomo', she called.

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vieni qua splashing her arms
in the clear green water.

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vieni subito And
so I followed her,

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swimming around a point
of rock to the next cove.

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vieni qua non hai
paura And she slipped

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like an eel beneath
the surface, down

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through the sunken
entrance to a hidden grotto

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where the light was soft and
green on fine-grained sand.

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e bello, no?' 'Here we can
be together by ourselves.

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Nobody else has ever
been here with me.

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It's my secret place.

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Here, kiss me here.

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I found it when I was a little
girl, now touch me here.'

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e strana questa luce com'
un altro mondo 'So strange,

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this light.

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Am I all green?

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It's like another world.

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Does that feel good?

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Don't be afraid.' siamo
incantati 'We're enchanted

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in another world.

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Oh, Giacomino, Giacomino.'
sai tu amore come lui e bello

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com'e carino sai quanto
ti mi dai piacere?

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sai come lei ti vuol' bene?

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'Lie still.' non andare via
'Just lie still, lie still.' "

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Then the last section is
"tornerai," will you come back?

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" 'Tornerai,' she wept.

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'Will you come back for me?'

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I wanted to slip away, but she
found out the time of my train

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and was there in the compartment
wearing her Sunday dress

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and the Milanese
scarf I had given her.

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Tornerai amore mio 'Will
you come back and bring me

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to America?'

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Crying and pressing, pressing
my hands against her breasts,

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my face wet with her
tears and her kisses

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till the train stopped
at Geneva and they

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made her get off because I
couldn't buy her a ticket."

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[APPLAUSE]

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