Your glow is almost surreal,
spilling over the countertop
into the cold darkness.
The power is out, the lines are down,
the wind howls,
the Nor’easter is let loose.
Not you though,
you sit calm, almost cerebral.
Our conversation is so basic,
so elemental,
so soothing,
the rest of the situation
does not seem to matter much.
So we sit together, in silence,
apart from this world,
alone, to ourselves,
trapped by this strange quiet,
surrounded by this growing darkness.
* This is my poem about Nor’easter’s which we usually get at least once a year!
* And right now as you might already know we are smack dab in the middle of one!
Art Work By Phil Gennuso – You can click on the image for full size
III Pues tu cólera estalla, justo es que ordenes hoy ¡oh Padre Eterno! una edición de lujo del infierno digna del guante y frac de la canalla.
III – Traditional Because your anger is exploding, Oh Eternal Father, You are justified in ordering today, a luxury version of Hell, worthy of a rogue with gloves and a tailcoat.
III – Alternative Because the cholera is exploding, Oh Eternal Father, You are justified in ordering today, a luxury version of Hell, worthy of a rogue with gloves and a tailcoat.
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Notes
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The translation today is for the third poem in Abrojos (Thistles), by Ruben Dario.
This third poem in Abrojos is a complete departure from the first two. They were focused entirely on young, teenage romance and love. This poem focuses on anger among other things and in my opinion has a complexity which is difficult to translate.
It begins with the very first line and the word “cólera”. This word in Spanish can be translated as either “anger” or “cholera”, quite a difference. It depends on the context. If it is anger, then the article would be feminine, “la cólera”. If it is masculine, “el cólera” then it would be cholera. Here the preposition “tu” is used which refers to a person. The problem is if the “tu” in line one refers to the Eternal Father, than it should be capitalized, which it is not!
Also, it seems a bit out of context to picture the Eternal Father as exploding with anger.
My own reading is that the poet is working on multiple levels here. The word “cólera” is two-sided, embracing both anger and cholera. The terrible disease of cholera exploded across the world in the 19th century and it effected all of the continents. There is no doubt Ruben Dario was well aware of this pandemic. The effects of anger and cholera are similar. They explode all over us, they distort our thoughts, our lives, our spirits.
The “tu” also works on multiple levels. It could refer to a person, your anger, your cholera. Again the two references. Cholera and Anger put us in Hell, though we may very well not deserve the full treatment. Hence Our Eternal Father orders up a luxury version worthy of a rogue, rather than a malicious criminal.
Another issue when translating a poem over 100 years old, without any substantial reference material, is that some of these phrases may have been colloquial expressions and the exact meanings of those colloquial expressions may be lost. That is one of the reasons why I am undertaking this project. This first book of poems by Ruben Dario definitely deserves more attention, in my opinion.
Enjoy!
Comments and suggests are always welcome!
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Below is a link to the home page for my upcoming Ebook which will feature translations and illustrations for the first book of poetry, Abrojos, written by poet Ruben Dario, published when he was twenty.
Photography By Phil Gennuso – You can click on the image for full size
II ¿Cómo decía usted, amigo mío? ¿Que el amor es un río? No es extraño. Es ciertamente un río que uniéndose al confluente del desvío, va a perderse en el mar del desengaño.
II What did you say my friend? That love is a river? Yes, you have something there! It certainly is a river, a river that takes many detours and gets lost in the sea of disappointment.
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Notes
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The translation today is for the second poem in Abrojos, or Thistles.
I know, it has been quite awhile since I started this project and posted my translation with notes for the first poem of this iconic work by Ruben Dario, Abrojos, published in 1887, when he was just twenty years old. I am sorry for the delay. I ended up moving from my home of eighteen years in August 2018, and just as I was beginning to settle into my new place, the Pandemic hit and other topics took center stage.
Just to refresh, the first poem deals in a tender way with first love. Ruben Dario’s young life, when he was a teenager, was filled with romantic dreams and longings and disappointments, as he reveals in his autobiography. So it is no surprise that the second poem in Abrojos also deals with the topic of love.
In this poem, he seems a bit older, consoling with a friend. This is no longer a first love, he has had other romantic yearnings and dreams. But they all have left him sad and discouraged. Love is like a winding river that can only flow into a sea of disappointment.
Translating this poem was a bit of a challenge. A more literal translation just did not sound poetic in today’s language. I would not be surprised if some of the original lines in Spanish, were more in the way of colloquial expressions from a different time. Expressions whose exact meanings are no longer available.
Enjoy!
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Below is a link to the home page for my upcoming Ebook which will feature translations and illustrations for the first book of poetry, Abrojos, written by poet Ruben Dario, published when he was twenty.
Phil G's Blog/Website 