One of the things I’ve noticed as we’ve followed the news from Eastern Europe these past days has been how clearly people recognize their connection to the people of Ukraine, whether that connection is personal or universal. This poem by the Italian poet Gianni Rodari captures that spirit. When our friend Virginia Jewiss posted her translation this weekend, I knew I wanted to share it more widely.
“As I journey up here,
I make light for all”
The Moon Over Kyiv
I wonder if the moon
over Kyiv
is as beautiful
as the moon over Rome,
I wonder if it’s the same moon
or merely her sister…
“Of course I’m the same!”
-the moon exclaims-
“Not some nightcap
for your head only!
As I journey up here,
I make light for all,
from India to Peru,
from the Tiber to the Dead Sea,
and my beams travel
without a passport.”
Gianni Rodari
translated from the Italian
by Virginia Jewiss
Spelling of Kyiv/Kiev updated