Ti togli, ci togliamo, vi togliete
cappotti, giacche, gilè, camicette
di lana, di cotone, misto lana,
gonne, calzoni, calze, biancheria,
posando, appendendo, gettando su
schienali di sedie, ante di paraventi;
per adesso, dice il medico, nulla di serio,
si rivesta, riposi, faccia un viaggio,
prenda nel caso, dopo pranzo, la sera,
torni fra tre mesi, sei, un anno;
vedi, e tu pensavi, e noi temevamo,
e voi supponevate, e lui sospettava;
è già ora di allacciare con mani ancora tremanti
stringhe, automatici, cerniere, fibbie,
cinture, bottoni, cravatte, colletti
e da maniche, borsette, tasche, tirar fuori
– sgualcita, a pois, a righe, a fiori, a scacchi – la sciarpa
riutilizzabile per protratta scadenza.

(Traduzione di Piero Marchesani)

Clothes

You take off, we take off, they take off
coats, jackets, blouses, double-breasted suits,
made of wool, cotton, cotton-polyester,
skirts, shirts, underwear, slacks, slips, socks,
putting, hanging, tossing them across
the back of chairs, the wings of metal screens;
for now, the doctor says, it’s not too bad,
you may get dressed, get rested up, get out of town,
take one in case, at bedtime, after lunch,
show up in a couple of months, next spring, next year;
you see, and you thought, and we were afraid that,
and he imagined, and you all believed;
it’s time to tie, to fasten with shaking hands
shoelaces, buckles, velcro, zippers, snaps,
belts, buttons, cuff links, collars, neckties, clasps
and to pull out of handbags, pockets, sleeves
a crumpled, dotted, flowered, checkered scarf
whose usefulness has suddenly been prolonged.

(Translated by Stanislaw Barańczak and Clare Cavanagh)

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Martynas and SinChronic String Quartet performing a flashmob Vivaldi (Summer, Presto) in Vilnius Railway Station