One Spanish poem a day 2 (Spanish/English) - Shinto - Jorge Luis Borges
A series of daily posts with a Spanish poem in its original language and translated into English.
The objective of this initiative is to foster the growth of the Spanish speaking community in Steemit and bring high quality Spanish to Steemers all over the world.
One Spanish poem a day - Un poema al día en Español
Shinto
durante un segundo nos salvan
las aventuras ínfimas
de la atención o de la memoria:
el sabor de una fruta, el sabor del agua,
esa cara que un sueño nos devuelve,
los primeros jazmines de noviembre,
el anhelo infinito de la brújula,
un libro que creíamos perdido,
el pulso de un hexámetro,
la breve llave que nos abre una casa,
el olor de una biblioteca o del sándalo,
el nombre antiguo de una calle,
los colores de un mapa,
una etimología imprevista,
la lisura de la uña limada,
la fecha que buscábamos,
contar las doce campanadas oscuras,
un brusco dolor físico.
que viajan por la tierra, secretas.
Esos modestos númenes nos tocan,
nos tocan y nos dejan.
Shinto
in an instant we are saved
by the humblest actions
of memory or attention:
the taste of fruit, the taste of water,
that face returned to us in dream,
the first jasmine flowers of November,
the infinite yearning of the compass,
a book we thought forever lost,
the pulsing of a hexameter,
the little key that opens a house,
the smell of sandalwood or library,
the ancient name of a street,
the colourations of a map,
an unforeseen etymology,
the smoothness of a filed fingernail,
the date that we were searching for,
counting the twelve dark bell-strokes,
a sudden physical pain.
who travel the earth, secretly.
Those modest divinities touch us,
touch us, and pass on by.
Gracias! This is improving my Spanish and filling me culturally :-)
New word for the day desdicha, nice ...
Cg
Lol... I'm glad you're enjoying :D
esperemos que la próxima palabra que aprendas no sea tan triste como "desdicha" :p
Thanks! Are you doing the Translations yourself? Or are you pulling from the Borges books in English? Can I also request The Library of Babel as the next poem/story?
Hey, Thank you for your comment... I'm pulling translations... Even though I believe my English is quite acceptable I believe translating world class poetry from Borges, Neruda or Machado is several levels above my proficiency... Isn't the Library of Babel a short story from Borges?