INTERMEZZO, (¿Schumann?)INTERMEZZO, (Schumann?)
Carlos Barbaritotrans. Brian Cole
I

Es tu pena, y
la sombra de tu pena en el suelo
y en las paredes, y
la mirada que te mira
con ojos de gato, y
la lluvia que cae
como si nunca antes hubiese llovido, y
es tu puntada en un costado, y
las voces que, afuera,
entierran palabras bajo las hojas
hasta que todo se calla
incluso las piedras
que una vez, dicen, gritaron.


II

Se enmohece un papel
donde está escrita una palabra
en un idioma que ya nadie entiende,
o
entiende sólo uno
al que le cortarán la lengua.
I

It is your punishment, and
the shadow of your punishment on the ground
and on the walls, and
the gaze that looks at you
with cat’s eyes, and
the rain that falls
as if it had never rained before, and
it is your stitch in your side, and
the voices that, outside,
bury words under the leaves
until all is silent
including the stones
that once, they say, cried out.


II

There is a mouldering paper
on which is written a word
in a language that no-one yet understands,
or
which is understood only by him
whose tongue they will cut out.

Copyright © Carlos Barbarito 2002; trans. copyright © Brian Cole 2002.


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