1. La plaça del Diamant.

Publicada per Club Editor el 1962.

"La Julieta va venir expressament a la pastisseria a dir-me que, abans de rifar la toia, rifarien cafeteres; que ella ja les havia vistes: precioses, blanques, amb una taronja pintada, partida en dues meitats, que ensenyava els pinyols. Jo no tenia ganes d’anar a ballar ni tenia ganes de sortir, perquè m’havia passat el dia despatxant dolços i les puntes dels dits em feien mal de tant estrènyer cordills daurats i de tant fer nusos i agafadors. I perquè coneixia la Julieta, que a la nit no li venia de tres hores i tant li feia dormir com no dormir. Però em va fer seguir vulgues no vulgues, perquè jo era així, que patia si algú em demanava una cosa i havia de dir que no. Anava blanca de dalt a baix: el vestit i els enagos emmidonats, les sabates com un glop de llet, les arracades de pasta blanca, tres braçalets rotllana que feien joc amb les arracades i un portamonedes blanc, que la Julieta em va dir que era d’hule, amb la tanca com una petxina d’or. "

2. La plaza del Diamante.

Traduïda per Enrique Sordo, amb pròleg de Gabriel García Márquez, i publicada per Círculo de Lectores el 1989.

3. La Piazza del Diamante (italià).

Traduïda per Anna Maria Saludes i Amat i publicada per Bollati Boringhieri el 1990.

4. La Place du Diamant (francès).

Traduït per Bernard Lesfargues amb la col·laboració de Pierre Verdaguer. Publicat a Gallimard el 2006.

5. Ploshtad diamant (búlgar).

Traduïda per Maya Genovai i publicada per Ciela el 2012.

6. Demantni Trg (eslovè).

Traduïda per Janko Moder i publicada per Pomurska zalozba el 1981.

7. Auf der Plaça del Diamant (alemany).

Traduïda per Hans Weiss, amb pròleg de Gabriel García Márquez i publicada per Suhrkamp el 2016.

8. Timanttiaukio (finès).

Traduïda per Jyrki Lappi-Sepälä i publicada per Otava el 1988.

9. Diamantpladsen (danès).

Traduïda per Marianne Lautrop i publicada per Albatros el 1981.

10. Demantstorgið (islandès).

Traduïda per Guðbergur Bergsson i publicada per Forlagið el 2013.

11. I Plateia ton Diamantion (grec).

Traduïda per Dina Sidere i publicada per Dorikos el 1987.

12. In Diamond Square (anglès).

Traduïda per Peter Bush i publicada per Virago el 2013.

13. A Praza do Diamante (gallec).

Traduïda per Pilar Vilaboi Freire i publicada per Edicións Positivas el 1995.

14. Diamantearen Plaza (eusquera).

Traduïda per Maite González Esnal i publicada per ELKAR el 1994.

Fosca

I so enjoyed the novel by Rousseau.

Giorgio

Yes, it's wonderful. It's my favorite, really.

Fosca

The character of Julie is a great mystery.

Giorgio

You should have kept the book longer to meditate over.

Fosca

I do not read to think. I do not read to learn.

I do not read to search for truth

I know the truth, the truth is hardly what I need.

I read to dream.

I read to live. In other people's lives.

I read about the joys, the world

Dispenses to the fortunate,

And listen for the echoes.

(Fiercly)

I read to live,

To get away from life!

(Calmer)

No, captain, I have no illusions.

I recognize the limits of my dreams.

I know how painful dreams can be

Unless you know they're merely dreams.

(Smiling aridly)

There is a flower which offers nectar at the top,

Delicious nectar at the top and bitter poison underneath.

The butterfly that stays too long and drinks too deep

Is doomed to die.

I read to fly, to skim -

I do not read to swim.

(Bitterly)

I do not dwell on dreams.

I know how soon a dream becomes an expectation

How can I have expectations?

Look at me.

No, captain, look at me -

Look at me!

(Exalted)

I do not hope for what I cannot have!

I do not cling to things I cannot keep!

(Tightly)

The more you cling to things, the more you love them,

The more the pain you suffer when they're taken from you...

(Calming down again)

Ah, but if you have no expectations,

You can never have a disappointment.

(Gives a short laugh; music continues under)

Forgive me. I must be mad to chatter on about myself like this to you.

Giorgio

I assure you.

Fosca

No, forgive me, please...

Giorgio

But truly, there is nothing to forgive -

Fosca

Have you explored the town?

It is remote, isn't it?

And provincial, don't you think?

Giorgio

Yes.

Fosca

And everything so brown:

The streets, the fields, the river even,

Though there are some lovely gardens.

You do like gardens, I hope?

Giorgio

Yes.

Fosca

Good, I can show you gardens.

And then of course there is the castle.

The ruined castle.

Giorgio

Ah.

Fosca

I find it lovely. Probably because it's ruined,

I suppose.

Giorgio

I didn't know there was a castle.

Fosca

I like to take excursions there -

When I'm in better health.

Perhaps you join me and my cousin

One day...

Giorgio

That would be delightful.

I don't believe I've seen a flower or a garden since

the day I arrived.

(Fosca suddenly gets up and slowly leaves the room.

Confused, Giorgio rises and, after she has gone, takes

his books and begins to leave. We hear the distant

sound of field drums, muffled, funereal. Fosca, just

as unexpectedly, returns, carrying a small bunch of

flowers, which she offers to Giorgio without a word)

Giorgio

Thank you. How delightful.

Fosca

(Crossing to the window)

I'm surprised you haven't seen our wonderful greenhouse.

Giorgio

Greenhouse?

Fosca

Yes, we haven't had much luck with the vegetables this year.

But the gardenias and petunias are magnificent.

(Giorgio joins her at the window,

as the drums become louder.)

Giorgio

Oh look. There's a funeral procession. I suppose

they come here for flowers to adorn the casket.

(Fosca stiffens and steps back, drawing her

hand to her mouth, her eyes staring)

It's good to know that the dead here -

(Fosca begins to tremble)

Signora?

(Fosca lets out a terrible cry and collapses

on the floor. Giorgio bends over her.)

Doctor! Doctor! Help!

(Two female attendants and the Doctor rush in

and reach her. Giorgio steps back, staring

helplessly as they carry her off).