Civitella Ranieri gave me that most precious of emotions, that of a return to childhood. In the beautiful peaceful surroundings of the castle, with nothing to worry about except the new work of fiction I was just then beginning from stimulation presence of other artists as well as from the friendly care of the staff who made life effortless, my mind felt free to roam in carefree, inspired otium, as the antiques, who knew something about the muses, called the ideal circumstances of the creation.

Sabina è sull’amaca. Guarda Ia montagna. La montagna è una gigantesca donna sdraiata, col capo riverso all’indietro, il ginocchio destro appena sollevato, la gamba sinistra scostata dalla destra, un vasto pube scuro di pini. Al di sopra della pancia si intravedono le curve dei suoi seni, la piega dell’ascella, l’attaccatura del braccio nascosto dal grande corpo terrestre. Sabina è innamorata della gigantessa ma non sa come raggiungerla. Ha cercato di avvicinarla, ma ogni volta l‘ha persa. Le si avvicina Giuseppe, guarda anche lui la montagna; Da bambino Ia volevo sposare, racconta Sabina. Mi piacevano i suoi fianchi larghi, l’avvallamento scosceso fra le gambe, quel corpo gigantesco piu bello e sinuoso di quello di qualsiasi altra donna. Cosi silenziosa, immobile, soda. Immaginavo la sua voce: un suono cavernoso, graffiato dai sassi che le franano dentro. Fa notte. La luna piena sorge da dietro il lago. In casa si sente russare. Sabina sguscia fuori dalla camera. Dentro l’amaca trova Giuseppe. Sdraiati accanto guardano la Montagna. La luna ne illumina l’intero sterminato corpo. E’ cosi bella, sussurra Sabina. Ti piacerebbe fare l’amore con Lei? Mi piacerebbe stringerla, accarezzarla, entrarle dentro, vorrei fosse tutta mia. Anch’io. Mi viene da piangere quando penso che non potro mai averla. Anche a me. Mi prende una rabbia.

Sabina is lying in the hammock. She is looking at the mountain. The mountain is a reclining giantess, head rolled back, right knee just slightly higher, the pubis dark with black pine trees. Above her huge belly the curve of the breast, the fold of the armpit, the joint of an arm hidden behind her great earthly body. Sabina is in love with the giantess but does not know how to reach her. She has tried to find her, but each time she has lost her way. Giuseppe approaches her. He too is looking at the mountain. When I was a child I wanted to marry her, he starts telling Sabina. I loved her wide hips, the steep ravine between her legs, that gigantic body more sinuous and beautiful than any other woman’s. So silent, still, firm. I imagined her voice: a cavernous sound, scratched by the rocks crumbling inside. Night is falling. The full moon is rising behind the lake. You can hear snoring in the house. Sabina sneaks out of her room. She finds Giuseppe in the hammock. Lying next to each other they look at the mountain. The moon bathes in light her entire boundless body. She’s so beautiful, whispers Sabina. Would you like to make love to her? I would like to hold her in my arms, caress her, penetrate her, I would like her to be mine entirely. Me too. I feel like crying when I think I will never possess her. Me too. I get into such a rage.