Poetry

[Chichiguita]

In my efforts to dig in to the poetry that has been posted so far, I have been googling my little heart out. I found a site with a number of sonnets in Spanish. The above mentioned was not there, but here is one by the same author. In the interest of not making this post really long, I will post the english translation in the next box. I would like to hear your thoughts on the peom in general, but also on the job of the translator. Thanks.


Que contiene una fantasía
contenta con amor decente

Detente, sombra de mi bien esquivo,
imagen del hechizo que más quiero,
bella ilusión por quien alegre muero,
dulce ficción por quien penosa vivo.
Si al imán de tus gracias, atractivo,
sirve mi pecho de obediente acero,
¿para qué me enamoras lisonjero
si has de burlarme luego fugitivo?

Mas blasonar no puedes, satisfecho,
de que triunfa de mí tu tiranía:
que aunque dejas burlado el lazo estrecho

que tu forma fantástica ceñía,
poco importa burlar brazos y pecho
si te labra prisión mi fantasía.

[Chichiguita]

How's that for an attention grabber??? Okay, here is the translation. Tell me what you think. (Please

Which contains an amorous fantasy,
content with platonic love

Halt, you shadow of my fleeting joy,
image of the charms I most desire,
lovely dream for whom I laughing die,
sweet untruth for whom I grieving live.
If to the magnet of your graces' pull,
my heart responds like an obedient steel,
to what end do you court me, flattering
if later you will mock me, fugitive?

But don't think you can boast, self-satisfied,
that your tyranny triumphs over me:
for though you've fled and the tight noose have mocked

that once encircled your fantastic form,
I care not that you mock my arms and breast
for in my mind's own prison you are locked.

Sorry, I did not note the author, she is Sor Juana Inez de la Cruz

[RenatoSosua]

Tengo hambre de tu boca, de tu voz, de tu pelo,
y por las calles voy sin nutrirme, callado,
ne me sostiene el pan, el alba me desquicia,
busco el sonido liquido de tus pies en el día.

Estoy hambriento de tu risa resbalada,
de tus manos color de furioso granero,
tengo hambre de la pálida piedra de tus uñas,
quiero comer tu piel como una intacta almendra.

Quiero comer el rayo quemado en tu hermosura,
la nariz soberana del arrogante rostro,
quiero comer la sombra fugaz de tus pestañas

y hambriento vengo y voy olfateando el crepúsculo
buscándote, buscando tu corazón caliente
como un puma en la soledad de Quitratúe.

Pablo Neruda
P.S. Quitratúe is in Chili

[Chichiguita]

aye--pappi--caliente'!
Hope you will forgive my hunting and posting these in English. I actually understood much of this one without use of the web, but the translation helped a lot in the end.

I haven’t read much commentary on this poem, but I plan to. I like to put my gut thoughts down before taking the input of others, where art is concerned. It is too tempting to reach for the “right” answer and miss the “inner” answer that is the magic of art.

Here's what I like about this poem.

It is experiential. It is vivid and visceral. I begin to feel hungry as a result of the descriptions. I feel the sensations of muscles tightening, ready.
I’m interested in the predatory language. Is there a hint of anger and vexation along with the longing in his tone? The object of his passion sounds like prey--maybe not love. What do you guys think? I wonder why.



I crave your mouth, your voice, your hair.
Silent and starving, I prowl through the streets.
Bread does not nourish me, dawn disrupts me, all day
I hunt for the liquid measure of your steps.

I hunger for your sleek laugh,
your hands the color of a savage harvest,
hunger for the pale stones of your fingernails,
I want to eat your skin like a whole almond.

I want to eat the sunbeam flaring in your lovely body,
the sovereign nose of your arrogant face,
I want to eat the fleeting shade of your lashes,

and I pace around hungry, sniffing the twilight,
hunting for you, for your hot heart,
Like a puma in the barrens of Quitratue.

[Chichiguita]

Sorry, I hate when I do that.

[aegap]

Hay Agua Lluvia

-

Paloma Es

[A.Hidalgo]

Originally Posted by aegap

Hay Agua Lluvia

-

Paloma Es

Its smart, attractive, catchy and sentimental advertising...but is it poetry.

[A.Hidalgo]

ROSA DEL MONTE HONDO.

Una rosa no es vanidosa
ni le preocupa que la corten
ni es coqueta ni le importa
quién va por el camino.
Pero debe morir muy triste
si pasan sus 13 días de vida
y un ojo no la mira.

Juan Freddy Armando (Hato Mayor, 1951)

[Chichiguita]

Can someone help me with the word coqueta?
Thanks.

[Indie]

Originally Posted by Chichiguita

Can someone help me with the word coqueta?
Thanks.

Flirtatious.