Indice:
Lett. & Poesie


Index:
Lit. & Poetry

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1  Abruzzo Dolce 8 La Smielatura
2 Alveari e Apiari 10 Canzone del Miele   
4 Le Api 12 Cera Propoli Polline Pappareale
6 Sciami 14 Le Api d'Inverno

 

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1  Sweet Abruzzo 8 Honey Extraction   
2 Beehives and Apiaries 10 The Song of Honey     
4 The Bees 12 Wax, Propolis, Pollen,
Royal Jelly
6 Swarms 14 Bees in Winter      

 

 

THE BEES

The asparagus footpath recalls
The awakened scent of the countryside, of flowers and the air. 

Whiteness of tempestuous cherry, adorned with pearls,
Field on foot in the sky, awakening
Of springtime perfumed for the bees by the cluster
[1];
Christ’s flower already visited guards

The lines of flight, dances to the morning sun;
Endless orderly caravans

To the scarlet of the Sulla
[2],

Pollens crazy with colours,
Fleets of buzzing musical crafts
Essence of solid propolis
[3]
Borage, buttercup, robinias
[4], peaches.
 

You possess the difficult nobility of the wax,
The gland of the natural spectacle,
An elusive yet concrete miracle,
Beehive, inextricable coming and going,
Hospitable queen of the honey and of the blossoms,
Mysteriously fascinating wood that has aged,
Cornucopia of seeds and fruit,
Sign from the gods, terrifying and unfathomable earth,
Unconscious handed down by creation.


Miniscule flowers of the woods, majestic eucalyptuses,
Fields of sunflowers bored by the lashing rays,
Seductive heathers, rows of linden trees, mountain plants,
Soul of orange blossoms and of lemons,

The bee never forgot your corollas

Approached by the invisible ultraviolet. 

Bees, patient instinct of the species,
One hundred thousand booties of fresh nectar,
Rich honey from tireless creatures,
Transformed into the hexagonal energy of the honeycomb,
Perfect humble home for the egg and the pupa. 

Bees, silent world of bounty,
Treasure unearthed by the queen of the petals,
Subtle breath of the infinite, delicate and fragile,
Unknown knights of the grasslands,
Workers of the primitive mother without a crown,
Without a diadem and without a palace,
But truth dressed with dandelion and chicory. 

The bees are a sweet harmony of life,
The bees sing and play the violin of heaven.
 

 


Translator’s Notes:
 [1]  glomere = cluster – winter-time grouping of worker bees that act to keep the group warm 

      [2]  Sulla flower = “Hedysarum coronarium”, Italian sainfoin, French Honeysuckle  

 

 

 

 

      [3] Propolis is a wax-like resinous substance collected by honeybees from tree buds or other botanical sources and used as cement and to seal cracks or open spaces in the hive. Its color varies from green to brown and reddish, depending of its botanical source. Honeybees use propolis to seal any gap inside the hive that is smaller than 3/16" or 1/4" (5 mm or 6 mm) while they leave themselves a bee space of approximately 9.5 mm, or 3/8", larger spaces are filled with wax comb.

Traditionally, beekeepers assumed that bees sealed the cracks and joints of the beehive with propolis to protect the colony from the elements (like rain) and prevent drafts during the wintertime. More recent research suggests that bees not only survive, but actually thrive with increased ventilation during the winter in most temperate regions of the world. Propolis is now thought to:
   reinforce the structural stability of the hive
   reduce vibration
   make the hive more defensible by sealing alternate entrances

Bees may also use it to prevent diseases and parasites in the hive.
Bees normally carry waste (dead larva, etc.) out of and away from the hive. However if, for example, a mouse chews its way into the hive for a winter nest and dies, the bees won't be able to move it out through the hive entrance. They have instead been known to seal the carcass in propolis, effectively mummifying the mouse.

Propolis is marketed by health food stores as a traditional medicine, and for its claimed beneficial effect on human health. Depending upon its precise composition (below) it may show powerful local antibiotic and antifungal properties. Also it is generally efficient in treating skin burns. Claims have been made for its use in treating allergy; it may stimulate the immune system, but some warn that it should not be taken if the user is likely to have severe allergic reaction to bees.
Old beekeepers recommend a piece of propolis kept in the mouth as a remedy for a sore throat.

Propolis is used by music instrument makers to better show the wood grain. It is a component of Italian varnish and was reportedly used by Stradivarius. 

        [4] Robinia pseudoacacia  = False Acacia, Black Locust, Locust Tree, Robinia

 

Translation courtesy of Marion Apley Porreca