Cino

Italian Campagna 1309, the open road

Bah! I have sung women in three cities,

But it is all the same;

And I will sing of the sun.

5

Lips, words, and you snare them,

Dreams, words, and they are as jewels,

Strange spells of old deity,

Ravens, nights, allurement:

And they are not;

10

Having become the souls of song.

Eyes, dreams, lips, and the night goes.

Being upon the road once more,

They are not.

Forgetful in their towers of our tuneing

15

Once for wind-runeing

They dream us-toward and

Sighing, say, ‘Would Cino,

Passionate Cino, of the wrinkling eyes,

Gay Cino, of quick laughter,

20

Cino, of the dare, the jibe.

Frail Cino, strongest of his tribe

That tramp old ways beneath the sun-light,

Would Cino of the Luth were here!’

Once, twice a year—

25

Vaguely thus word they:

‘Cino?’ ‘Oh, eh, Cino Polnesi

The singer is’t you mean?’

‘Ah yes, passed once our way,

A saucy fellow, but . . .

30

(Oh they are all one these vagabonds),

Peste! ’tis his own songs?

Or some other’s that he sings?

But you, My Lord, how with your city?’

But you ‘My Lord,’ God’s pity!

35

And all I knew were out, My Lord, you

Were Lack-land Cino, e’en as I am,

O Sinistro.

I have sung women in three cities.

But it is all one.

40

I will sing of the sun.

. . . eh? . . . they mostly had grey eyes,

But it is all one, I will sing of the sun.

‘’Pollo Phoibee, old tin pan, you

Glory to Zeus’ aegis-day,

45

Shield o’ steel-blue, th’ heaven o’er us

Hath for boss thy lustre gay!

’Pollo Phoibee, to our way-fare

Make thy laugh our wander-lied;

Bid thy ’flugence bear away care.

50

Cloud and rain-tears pass they fleet!

Seeking e’er the new-laid rast-way

To the gardens of the sun . . .

. . . . .

I have sung women in three cities

55

But it is all one.

I will sing of the white birds

In the blue waters of heaven,

The clouds that are spray to its sea.

—
Ezra Pound

Personæ, 1926