Epigram for Wall street 💸

“Epigram for Wall street” is a poem attributed to Edgar Allan Poe, born on 19 January 1809

I’ll tell you a plan for gaining wealth,
Better than banking, trade or leases —
Take a bank note and fold it up,
And then you will find your money in creases!
This wonderful plan, without danger or loss,
Keeps your cash in your hands, where nothing can trouble it;
And every time that you fold it across,
‘Tis as plain as the light of the day that you double it

This poem was originally published in January 1845 in the “Evening Mirror” (New York), where Poe worked as critic and sub-editor, and it was later attributed to him.
The original title included the lower-case “s” in “street.”

It talks about losing money in banks and gives humorous advice on what to do with it. The epigram contains a brilliant example of word-play (“increases” and “in creases”) and it is amusing, which is not so frequent with Poe.

Epigramma per Wall street
Vi rivelerò un piano per aumentar profitti,
meglio di investimenti, commercio o affitti –
Se una banconota in due sarà piegata
la cifra sembrerà subito raddoppiata
Questo meraviglioso piano, privo di pericoli o passivi
terrà le banconote in mano vostra, senza rischi aggiuntivi
e ogni volta che le ripiegherete,
è chiaro come il sole che le raddoppierete.
(L.Z.)

NB: Anche se ho fatto una traduzione non molto rigorosa, al fine di mantenere la rima, mi è stato impossibile rendere il geniale gioco di parole dell’originale, in cui l’espressione “in creases” (con pieghe) letto in una sola parola diventa “increases” cioè aumenta.

 _{Image:  Wikimedia Commons – Stock Market Bull}