Poem 5 
Lesbia, come, let us live and love, and be 
deaf to the vile jabber of the ugly old fools, 
the sun may come up each day but when our 
star is out…our night, it shall last forever and 
give me a thousand kisses and a hundred more 
a thousand more again, and another hundred, 
another thousand, and again a hundred more, 
as we kiss these passionate thousands let 
us lose track; in our oblivion, we will avoid 
the watchful eyes of stupid, evil peasants 
hungry to figure out 
how many kisses we have kissed.

We do not live there             as you suppose. There is no house more unsullied than                  this one             or more free from such mischief. It bothers me not at all, I                  assure you,             because someone is more affluent or more learned; each                  one has             his own place. In short: whether a peaceful old age waits for me
or death circles with black wings,
rich, poor, at Rome, or if thus chance bids, an exile,
whatever the complexion of my life, I will write.

AP:1-37 On unity and harmony If a painter had chosen to set a human head On a horse’s neck, covered a melding of limbs, Everywhere, with multi-coloured plumage, so That what was a lovely woman, at the top, Ended repulsively in the tail of a black fish: Asked to a viewing, could you stifle laughter, my friends? Believe me, a book would be like such a picture, Dear Pisos, if it’s idle fancies were so conceived That neither its head nor foot could be related To a unified form. ‘But painters and poets Have always shared the right to dare anything.’ I know it: I claim that licence, and grant it in turn: But not so the wild and tame should ever mate, Or snakes couple with birds, or lambs with tigers. Weighty openings and grand declarations often Have one or two purple patches tacked on, that gleam Far and wide, when Diana’s grove and her altar, The winding stream hastening through lovely fields, Or the river Rhine, or the rainbow’s being described. There’s no place for them here. Perhaps you know how To draw a cypress tree: so what, if you’ve been given Money to paint a sailor plunging from a shipwreck In despair? It started out as a wine-jar: then why, As the wheel turns round does it end up a pitcher? In short let it be what you wish, but whole and natural. Most poets (dear sir, and you sons worthy of your sire), Are beguiled by accepted form. I try to be brief And become obscure: aiming at smoothness I fail In strength and spirit: claiming grandeur he’s turgid: Too cautious, fearing the blast, he crawls on the ground: But the man who wants to distort something unnaturally Paints a dolphin among the trees, a boar in the waves. Avoiding faults leads to error, if art is lacking. The humblest craftsman, down by Aemilius’ School, Who moulds finger-nails in bronze, imitates wavy hair, Is unhappy with the result, because he’s unable To create a whole. Now if I wished to cast something, I’d no more wish to be him, than live with a crooked Nose, though admired for my jet-black eyes and black hair.

AP:119-152 Be consistent if you are original Either follow tradition, or invent consistently. If you happen to portray Achilles, honoured, Pen him as energetic, irascible, ruthless, Fierce, above the law, never downing weapons. Make Medea wild, untameable, Ino tearful, Ixion treacherous, Io wandering, Orestes sad. If you’re staging something untried, and dare To attempt fresh characters, keep them as first Introduced, from start to end self-consistent. It’s hard to make the universal specific: It’s better to weave a play from the poem of Troy, Than be first to offer something unknown, unsung. You’ll win private rights to public themes, if you Don’t keep slowly circling the broad beaten track, Or, pedantic translator, render them word for word, Or following an idea, leap like the goat into the well From which shame, or the work’s logic, denies escape. And don’t start like the old writer of epic cycles: ‘Of Priam’s fate I’ll sing, and the greatest of Wars.’ What could he produce to match his opening promise? Mountains will labour: what’s born? A ridiculous mouse! How much better the man who doesn’t struggle, ineptly: ‘Tell me, Muse, of that man, who after the fall of Troy Had sight of the manners and cities of many peoples.’ He intends not smoke from flame, but light from smoke, So as then to reveal striking and marvellous things, Antiphates, Charybdis and Scylla, the Cyclops. He doesn’t start Diomede’s return from Troy with his Uncle Meleager’s death, or the War with two eggs: He always hastens the outcome, and snatches the reader Into the midst of the action, as if all were known, Leaves what he despairs of improving by handling, Yet so deceptive, in blending fact with fiction, The middle agrees with the start, the end with the middle.

AP:408-437 Nature plus training: but see through flattery Whether a praiseworthy poem is due to nature Or art is the question: I’ve never seen the benefit Of study lacking a wealth of talent, or of untrained Ability: each needs the other’s friendly assistance. He who’s eager to reach the course’s longed-for goal, Has done and suffered much as a lad, sweating, freezing, Abstaining from wine and women: the flautist who pipes At the Pythian Games, first learnt how: feared his master. Now it’s enough to say: ‘I compose marvellous poems: Let the itch take the last: I’ll not be left behind , Admitting I haven’t a clue about something I never learnt.’ Like an auctioneer drawing a crowd to the sale, So a poet whose rich in land, with large investments, Is bidding flatterers come to him, and profit. If he can serve up a really fine dinner too, Or go surety for a dodgy pauper, or save A dismal lawsuit’s victim, I’d be amazed, if he, The lucky man, could tell false friend from true. You too, if you’ve given or mean to give someone A gift, don’t induce him while filled with delight To listen to your verse: he’ll cry: ‘Lovely! Fine! Grand!’ Now he’ll grow pale, now he’ll even force dew From his fond eyes, leap, and strike the ground. As those hired to mourn at funerals do and say Almost more than those who are grieving deeply, The hypocrite’s more ‘moved’ than the true admirer. They say kings anxious to test someone, to see if He’s worthy of friendship, urge on him many a glass, Ply him with wine: so, if you should fashion verses, Don’t be deceived by the fox’s hidden intent.

(Antonella Eye POrcelluzzi: ) DIVENTARE FAMOSI 1. Diventare famosi Per ritrovarsi Con gente mediocre A fare sesso A prendere droghe E perdere i denti 2. Diventare famosi Sposando un famoso Vivendo in una casa Non tua Facendo cose Non tue 3. Diventare famosi E attrarre gli opportunisti Che non sanno chi sei Che non sanno che fai Che non servono a niente 4. Diventare famosi Ma senza soldi Perché rampolli di buona famiglia Incontrando le autorità Con a fianco Una ragazza carina Che non vale molto 5. Diventare famosi E smettere le bravate E mostrare in pubblico La propria donna Quella vera 6. Diventare famosi E fare la pubblicità All’unico libro che hai scritto 1000 volte, sempre lo stesso libro 7. Diventare famosi Seguendo un maestro Che non hai superato E ritrovarsi A dover capire la Vita da solo 8. Diventare famosi Sentire la gelosia degli altri E ritirarsi in silenzio a lavorare Puo’ durare per un po’ 9. Niente Amore oggi Devo meditare 10. Diventare famosi Ma restare ugualmente schiavi Di qualcuno Che non ti stima E non ti rispetta
 11. Diventare famosi Dopo aver superato l’inferno E guardarti intorno Per cercare gli amici 12. Diventare famosi Copiando e scimmiottando I famosi Dicendo cose scontate E fuori contesto 13. Io amo una persona eccezionale come me Se cadiamo ci rialziamo E questo caffè è davvero buono ENGLISH BECOME FAMOUS 1. Become famous To end up With mediocre people To have sex On drugs And lose your teeth 2. Become famous Marrying a famous Living in a house Not yours Doing things Not yours 3. Become famous And attract the opportunists Who don’t know who you are Who don’t know what you’re doing Which are of no use 4. Become famous But without money 'Cause you’re kids of good family Meeting with the authorities With beside A pretty girl That’s not worth much 5. Become famous And stop the shenanigans And show in public Your own woman The real one 6. Become famous And advertise To the one book you wrote 1000 times, always the same book 7. Become famous Following a master That you didn’t get over And find yourself To have to understand life alone 8. Become famous Feeling the jealousy of others And retire quietly to work It can last a while 9. No Love Today I must meditate 10. Become famous But still remain slaves Someone’s That doesn’t look up to you And he doesn’t respect you 11. Become famous After having got through hell And look around you To look for friends 12. Become famous Copying and monkeying The famous Taking things for granted And out of context 13. I love an exceptional person like me If we fall we get up And this coffee is really good Voices from Rome We’re building something here… We’re building it from scratch. All the pieces matter. Every project is unique. Each involves an endless series of choices, we will well choose all the details. I just came home from my travel, what a luxus to travel expecially in these times, i saw friends friends of friends friends of friends of friends wonderful But I m here again NOW ;) take your time, therapy is all this, talking, working, living Hi my dear CHris, I was thinking of you, I listen at the new track and it's perfect perfect
notwithstanding this I was asking myself if i didn't miss to send you something more, some detail which makes things precious, what could i send you, maybe some extra voices for the final track i thought to read some passages out of our "letter exchange", it might make a nice basis, so that the ancient voice gets near, tell me if my thinking is understandable and if you like the idea
I send you a file for the back voices so you ll'have a lively ancient basis for the next track, and a love & creativity message for posterity ;) spring goes on implacable ;) my hugs and love, and no hidden fox !