A simple and stunning poem by the Colombian poetess Maria Mercedez Carranza. My clumsy translation is below:
Prayer
No more dawns or fashions,
no more light, no more tasks, no more instants.
Just dirt, dirt in the eyes,
between the mouth and the ears;
dirt upon the crushed chests;
dirt inside the dry womb;
dirt tight on the back;
down the length of half-open legs, dirt;
dirt between hands that were left there.
Dirt and oblivion.
Read Bogotá 2013
And you!
x
Thanks so much!
I’ve nominated you for the Super Sweet Blogging Award.
My blog http://meltwaterblog.wordpress.com/2013/11/07/super-sweet-blogging-award/
I do agree with the use of dirt; Earth in English is too wholesome where as here she refers to the putrid nature and deafening fatality of being inanimate – death becomes you !
I found it to be good, only thing is that in my personal interprentation and poem life, I do not see the “dirt” as something bad, but good, nurturing, like Earth, but that is just a personal vision 🙂
I will try to do more then. I just am always in doubt of my translations!
It is always an extra expirience to see something both translated and in the original form – it is like a double goodness.
Thank you very much for sharing this!
Just perfect.