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Partiamo di notte

By Gezim Hajdari - Albania, 1957 – Present
Transitional | Immigration, Revolution and Resistance

Partiamo di notte,

dimenticando che siamo ciechi,

per raggiungere un territorio nudo

del quale ha bisogno la nostra voce.

Andiamo al mare per parlare

e lanciare sassi controvento.

WORD
DEFINITION
POSSIBLE SYNONYMS
al (prep.) indicating direction of something to the, toward the
andiamo (v.) from the verb andare meaning to go we go, we travel, we reach
ciechi (adj.) having no sense of sight blind, sightless, unseeing
dimenticando che (v. + conj.) from the verb dimenticare meaning to be unable to keep something in one’s memory forgetting that, disregarding that, not remembering that
di notte (prep. + n.) during the time of day after the sun sets at night, in the dark, at dusk
del quale (prep. + pron.) used to refer to something previously mentioned when introducing a clause giving further information that, which, that which
e (conj.) in addition to and, plus, also
ha bisogno (v.) used to express necessity; from the verb avere meaning to have and the word bisogno meaning need need, want, require
la nostra voce (possessive pron. + n.) sound made using vocal organs, belonging to the speaker plus one or more people our voices, our words
lanciare (v.) to propel something through the air to throw, to hurl, to cast
mare (n.) a large body of salt water, or the area near it sea, seaside, beach, shore
nudo (adj.) having no covering or clothes on bare, naked, unclothed, exposed
parlare (v.) to utter words to speak, to talk
partiamo (v.) from the verb partire meaning to go away from a place we depart, we leave, we go
per (prep.) with the purpose of to, in order to, so as to
raggiungere (v.) come to a place arrive at, reach, get to
sassi (n.) a hard mineral material rocks, stones, pebbles
siamo (v.) from the verb essere meaning to be we are
territorio (n.) area of land belonging to a country or a group of people territory, country, land, place
un (art.) used to refer to someone or something for the first time a, an, one

Background

II. About Free Verse

Free verse is a literary device that can be defined as poetry that is free from
limitations of regular meter or rhythm and does not rhyme with fixed forms. Such
poems are without rhythms and rhyme schemes; do not follow regular rhyme
scheme rules and still provide artistic expression. In this way, the poet can give his
own shape to a poem how he/she desires. However, it still allows poets to use
alliteration, rhyme, cadences or rhythms to get the effects that they consider are
suitable for the piece.

Bio

Gëzim Hajdari writes poetry in Albanian and Italian. He had to flee Albania after he criticized its communist government. He immigrated to Italy. For many years he lived alone in an abandoned building near Rome. He writes about exile, rebellion, and isolation. He explains: “My true homeland is my language and my body. We must be perennial travelers.”

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