SurVision Magazine / Giorgio de Chirico

High Hopes

Astronomers of poetry are very cheerful.
The day is radiant, the square drowns in sunshine.
They look out, they eyeball the veranda.
Music and love. A woman, too beautiful,
with velvet eyes to die for (I would).
An artist has painted a huge red chimney;
a poet worships it as some kind of deity.
I observed the spring night, I observed the corpses.
The river dragged along the tombstones that no longer exist.
Who still wants to live? Promises grow alluring.

We waved many flags at railway stations
until the clocks stopped.
A minister's arrival is expected.
He is intelligent and has a sweet smile;
he understands everything; his nights
are lit by a fuming lamp and,
while the stone warrior sleeps
in the centre of the dark square,
he pens sad and ardent love letters.

Translated from the Italian by Tony Kitt

Giorgio de Chirico (1888–1978) was a much-admired Italian artist and writer who worked in metaphysical and surrealist style. Speranze (from "Manoscritti Eluard", 1911–1915) is his best-known poem newly translated for this issue of SurVision.

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An international online magazine that publishes Surrealist poetry in English. Issue Seven GIORGIO DE CHIRICO High Hopes Astronomers of poetry are very cheerful. The day is radiant, the square drowns in sunshine. They look out, they eyeball the veranda. Music and love. A woman, too beautiful, with velvet eyes to die for (I would). An artist has painted a huge red chimney; a poet worships it as some kind of deity. I observed the spring night, I observed the corpses. The river dragged along the tombstones that no longer exist. Who still wants to live? Promises grow alluring. We waved many flags at railway stations until the clocks stopped. A minister's arrival is expected. He is intelligent and has a sweet smile; he understands everything; his nights are lit by a fuming lamp and, while the stone warrior sleeps in the centre of the dark square, he pens sad and ardent love letters. Translated from the Italian by Tony Kitt Giorgio de Chirico (1888–1978) was a much-admired Italian artist and writer who worked in metaphysical and surrealist style. Speranze (from "Manoscritti Eluard", 1911–1915) is his best-known poem newly translated for this issue of SurVision.
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