Thanks, HB. Google finds a Vincenzo Consolo novel called Retablo, which seems to be the Italian and Spanish for the German (and presumably Dutch?) term Retabel (some form of altar piece, relics or paintings) The English is usually Retable, but Retablo is also used. Judging from Consolo’s growing global stature, one feels that an English translation cannot be far away.
Meanwhile, I’m passing on the cited piece to Carla Pattone seeking her translation.
The not uncommon theme of an author/narrator being obsessed with the sounds/spelling of his inamorata’s name is indeed of interest to Nabokovians. One can only be thankful that Humbert has his lateral-dental L-o-l-i-t-a. Consolo’s narrator enjoys an extra trill-thrill with R-o-s-a-l-i-a, and flowery allusions to boot.
If, like James Joyce, you fall for a Nora Barnacle, your phonetic and allusional adorations are sorely taxed.
Happily, novelists can exploit the fact that most female names are naturally euphonious.
Sondheim/Bernstein in West Side Story milk Maria dry in both words and music:
The most beautiful sound I ever heard
(Maria, Maria, Maria, Maria)
All the beautiful sounds of the world in a single word
(Maria, Maria, Maria, Maria
Maria, Maria)
Maria!
I just met a girl named Maria
And suddenly that name
Will never be the same
To me
Maria
I just kissed a girl named Maria
And suddenly I found
How wonderful a sound
Can be
Maria
Say it loud and there's music playing
Say it soft and it's almost like praying
Maria,
I'll never stop saying
Maria
On 25/07/2011 18:00, "Hafid Bouazza" <hafidbouazza@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
Dear List,
Does anyone know, or has anyone before mentioned Vincenzo Consolo's novel Retabel? It was written in 1961 en it has ben recently translated into Dutch (by Pietha de Voogd, who is the Eco-translator) - I couldn't find an English translation -; the beginning will, I am sure, interest readers of Nabokov. The Italian is not too difficult, although the double-entrendres may be and certainly are for me - I assume and deduce from the Dutch translation that the names of the flowers have the usual feminine connotations.
Rosalia. Rosa e lia. Rosa che ha inebriato, rosa che ha confuso, rosa che ha sventato, rosa che ha ròso, il mio cervello s’è mangiato. Rosa che non è rosa, rosa che è datura, gelsomino, bàlico e viola; rosa che è pomelia, magnolia, zàgara e cardenia. Poi il tramonto, al vespero, quando nel cielo appare la sfera d’opalina, e l’aere sfervora, cala misericordia di frescura e la brezza del mare valica il cancello del giardino, scorre fra colonnette e palme del chiostro in clausura, coglie, coinvolge, spande odorosi fiati, olezzi distillati, balsami grommosi. Rosa che punto m’ha, ahi !, con la sua spina velenosa in su nel cuore.Lia che m’ha liato la vita come il cedro o la lumia il dente, liana di tormento, catena di bagno sempiterno, libame oppioso, licore affatturato, letale pozione, lilio dell’inferno che credei divino, lima che sordamente mi corrose l’ossa, limaccia che m’invischiò nelle sue spire, lingua che m’attassò come angue che guizza dal pietrame, lioparda imperiosa, lippo dell’alma mia, liquame nero, pece dov’affogai, ahi !, per mia dannazione.
Best,
Hafid Bouazza