Cino Lyrics

Once, twice a year—-
Vaguely thus word they:

"Cino?" "Oh, eh, Cino Polnesi
"The singer is't you mean?"
"Ah yes, passed once our way,
"A saucy fellow, but . . .
"(Oh they are all one these vagabonds),
"Peste! 'tis his own songs?
"Or some other's that he sings?
"But you, My Lord, how with your city?"

My you "My Lord," God's pity!
And all I knew were out, My Lord, you
Were Lack-land Cino, e'en as I am,

O Sinistro.

I have sung women in three cities.
But it is all one.

I will sing of the sun.
. . . eh? . . . they mostly had grey eyes,
But it is all one, I will sing of the sun.

"'Pollo Phoibee, old tin pan, you
Glory to Zeus' aegis-day,
Shield o' steel-blue, th' heaven o'er us
Hath for boss thy lustre gay!
"'Pollo Phoibee, to our way-fare
Make thy laugh our wander-lied;
Bid thy 'flugence bear away care.
Cloud and rain-tears pass they fleet!


Seeking e'er the new-laid rast-way
To the gardens of the sun . . .

* * *

I have sung women in three cities
But it is all one.

I will sing of the white birds
In the blue waters of heaven,
The clouds that are spray to its sea.

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About

Genius Annotation

A monologue from Pound’s first collection, A Lume Spento (1908), which he chose to republish in various later collections of his poems. Its expression and characterization owe much to Pound’s major Victorian influence, Robert Browning.

Pound wrote to Iris Barry in 1916: ‘The hell is that one catches Browning’s manner and mannerisms. At least I’ve suffered that disease.’

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