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This report is taken from PN Review 274, Volume 50 Number 2, November - December 2023.

Mondo de Kvar Anguloj
(World of Four Corners)
John Gallas
1. Mondo de arboj
In coming issues of PN Review, John Gallas will contribute to the ‘Reports’ pages five-poem anthologies of translations from many corners of the world. He is, after all, the author of The Song Atlas. Esperanto provides our titles going forward. The next five are proposed as:
2. Mondo de mašino
3. Mondo de dormo
4. Mondo de sunbrilo
5. Mondo de melankolio
6. Mondo de birdoj

MONDO DE ARBOJ

1
Three Trees

                                       Gabriela Mistral 1889–1957/Chile
Three fallen trees
just left at the side of the path.
The woodcutter forgot them, and they are talking together,
woodily, about love, like three blind men.

The setting sun lays
its lifeblood on the chopped logs,
and the breeze carries away the sweet smell
of their opened flanks.

The crookedest one reaches out
its huge arm and shivered leaves
towards the others, and its wounds,
like two eyes, are full of entreaty.
The woodcutter forgot them. Night
will come. I will stay with them.
I will welcome into my heart their gentle
sap. They will be like a fire to me.

2
I wonder, how you will manage...
                                               Princess Ōku 661–702/Japan

I wonder, how you will manage
to cross the mountains all alone,
in autumn, in the darkness of the fading trees,
and the ...


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