Wet fur

[misssmith]

I'm trying to translate a poem (just for the pleasure of doing it), The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner, by Randall Jarrell.

From my mother's sleep I fell into the State,
And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze.
Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life,
I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters.
---

My try:
Morte del mitragliere di torretta.
Dal sopore di mia madre son piombato nello Stato,
rannicchiato nel ventre suo finché non mi si è gelata la pelliccia fradicia.
A sei miglia dalla terra, sganciato dal suo sogno di vita,
destato da un’irosa contraerea e dall’incubo dei caccia.
---

I do not understand the second line: do you know why he is using the terms 'wet fur'? Is it possible that the author refers to the 'pelle'?

 

[TimLA]

Hi MS,
It's a controversial poem, and there seems to be some debate as to its meaning.

But your line in question gives me the sense of a small, helpless furry animal,
so I'd probably go for the literal:
...finchè il mio pelo humedo si era gelato...
??????????

 

[misssmith]

I thought it could refer either to his jacket or to his fear (his hair wet with cold sweat), TimLa, what do you think about it?
Thanks a lot, as usual!
MS

 

[TimLA]

It certainly could be.
The WWII bomber jackets were leather, like THIS, but there was the "fur" around the collar.
Would it be translated the same? Pelo?

 

[misssmith]

Hi TimLa!
No, unfortunately! Hair is 'pelo' and fur is 'pelliccia', two completely different words! And besides, in Italian we use 'pelo/peli' mainly to refer to the unwanted hair and it is not a nice word. Mhmm, I have to think about it a little more.
Thanks a lot, TimLa!
Misssmith