POETRY WEDNESDAY - SERENATA

"If I know what love is, it is because of you." - Hermann Hesse

Many years ago when I visited Italy, I listened to a song on the radio that enchanted me. I tried in vain to find out who sang it, to listen to it again, to search for more songs by the same artist, but all my efforts proved fruitless. The lyrics impressed themselves on my mind and some years later my brain begat this version after working on the remembrance of that Italian song…

Serenata
As remembered from the Italian

The pagan tribes of Araby revere the sun
The Saracens all to the moon pay homage.
The stars and winds in blackest Africa are adored
And I my love only your eyes do worship.

In times of strife all men the saints invoke
In hardship everyone to gods does turn,
In tempests raging the sailors Christ recall
But I my love to you in my misfortune pray.

All slaves crave for their freedom sweet,
All prisoners to loose their fetters try,
All cagéd birds to escape their bars attempt,
And I, my love, to you myself enchain.

To war, searching for glory soldiers go,
To power king and noble all would sacrifice
To miser more than life the glint of gold is worth,
But I my love would for your smile expire.

Enjoy the rest of your week, and visit Sans Souci’s blog for the Poetry Wednesday tour.
The image accompanying the poem s called “Moon Goddess” and is by artist Susan Seddon Boulet.