S P A N I S H   P O E M S # 4

This is really getting more and more complicated, but I will carry on trying.

           La casada infiel                                              The unfaithful wife

Y que yo me la llevé al río                             And I took her down the river

creyendo que era mozuela                             thinking that she was maiden,

pero tenía marido.                                          but she was married really.

Fue la noche de Santiago                              It was Santiago's night

y casi por compromiso.                                  and I did it almost unwilling.

Se apagaron los faroles                                  The street lamps went out

y se encendieron los grillos.                           and on went the crickets.

En las últimas esquinas                                  In the last dark corners

toqué sus pechos dormidos,                          I gently brushed her nipples

y se me abrieron de pronto                            and they suddenly opened

como ramos de jacintos.                                 like a bunch of water-lilies.

El almidón de su enagua                               The starch of her petticoat

me sonaba en el oído,                                    sounded into my ears,

como una pieza de seda                                 like a silken-soft tissue

rasgada por diez cuchillos.                            by a hundred knives teared.

Sin luz de plata en sus copas                         No silver light on their tops

los áboles han crecido,                                   the trees have grown bigger

y un horizonte de perros                                and a horizon of dogs

ladra muy lejos del río.                                   bark very far from the river.

Pasadas las zarzamoras,                                 Once past the blackberries

los juncos y los espinos,                                 and all the thorns and the timber

bajo su mata de pelo                                      under her hair I prepared

hice un hoyo sobre el limo.                            a hollow amongst the thicket.

Yo me quité la corbata.                                 I took my neck-tie away.

Ella se quitó el vestido.                                  Off went her dress with a shiver.

Yo el cinturón con revolver.                          Off my belt and revolver.

Ella sus cuatro corpiños.                                Off her four underwear.

Ni nardos ni caracolas                                   Neither nards nor sea-shells

tienen el cutis tan fino,                                  have such a fine finísh,

ni los cristales con luna                                  nor moonlight against the windows

relumbran con ese brillo.                                with so much beauty can shimmer.

Sus muslos se me escapaban                          Her thighs would slip away

como peces sorprendidos,                             from my hands like amazed fishes,

la mitad llenos de lumbre,                             half full of marble coldness

la mitad llenos de frío.                                   half full of hot wishes.

Aquella noche corrí                                       That night I did race

el mejor de los caminos,                                in the very best of circles

montado en potra de nácar                            riding over a splendid mare

sin bridas y sin estribos.                                 without stirrup or bridle.

No quiero decir, por hombre,                        A man should not tell the things

las cosas que ella me dijo.                              which she in my ears repeated.

La luz del entendimiento                               The light of my common sense

me hace ser muy comedido.                          makes me be restrained and easy.

Sucia de besos y arena,                                  All dirty of kisses and mud,

yo me la llevé del río.                                    I took her away from the river.

Con el aire se batían                                      The wind would battle in firm

las espadas de los lirios.                                 with the swords of the lilies.

Me porté como quien soy.                             I acted the way I am,

Como un gitano legítimo.                              like a really genuine gypsy.

La regalé un costurero                                   I gave her a sewing-box,

grande, de raso pajizo,                                   as a man to his mistress

y no quise enamorarme                                  and forced me not to love her,

porque teniendo marido                                because being married, really,

me dijo que era mozuela                                she told me that she was maiden

cuando la llevaba al río.                                 when I took her to the river.

Author : Federico García Lorca. (1898-1936) - He was a poet, a dramatist, a painter, a pianist, etc. He had many problems with his homosexuality, and was killed at the age of 38, at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. If you wish to have a look at his very interesting biography, you will find it easily in Internet.

By the way. I have been asking several members of the society about my English translations of the Spanish Poems, and I got the feeling that I am not doing it as well as I thought. Probably it was too daring of me to think that I was prepared for such a difficult task. Therefore, I might fall into the temptation of doing more translations later on, but at the moment, this will be my last one. Thanks anyway to those who read them, and please be sure that I tried my very best to approach both languages.

with love   

                                                                       Angel Centenera