Poem
Fredy Chicangana
THE STONE OF WATER
On the banks of a restless riverwe go asking the stones
about our passage through the world
and about the secrets of the great mountain.
Our voice says: for what did we come to this bank sister stone
if not to flower near the earth,
for what did we come to this sky
if not to sing our sorrows and joys?
It is true — says the stone —
I also was fire and loved from other banks,
today I’m a rush of water, cold and the shadow of night,
the serpents sing and dance in my body
to remember the origin
because that was the reason we came to earth
to be a stone of water and memory facing oblivion.
© Translation: 2007, Nicolás Suescún
LA PIEDRA DEL AGUA
LA PIEDRA DEL AGUA
Por las orillas de un río bulliciosovamos interrogando a las piedras
sobre nuestro paso por este mundo
y sobre aquellos secretos de la gran montañas.
Dice nuestra voz: ¿a qué vinimos a esta orilla hermana piedra
si no es a florecer junto a la tierra
a qué vinimos a este cielo
si no es a cantar nuestras penas y alegrías?
Es cierto — dice la piedra —,
también fui guego y amé desde otras orillas,
hoy soy golpe de agua, frío y sombra de la noche
en mi cuerpo cantan y danzan las serpientes
para no olvidar el origen
porque a eso vinimos a la tierra
a ser piedrad de agua y memoria ante el olvido.
© 1992, Fredy Chicangana
From: Colibri de la noche desnuda
Publisher: Foundation Sol y Serpiente de América, Bogotá
From: Colibri de la noche desnuda
Publisher: Foundation Sol y Serpiente de América, Bogotá
Poems
Poems of Fredy Chicangana
Close
THE STONE OF WATER
On the banks of a restless riverwe go asking the stones
about our passage through the world
and about the secrets of the great mountain.
Our voice says: for what did we come to this bank sister stone
if not to flower near the earth,
for what did we come to this sky
if not to sing our sorrows and joys?
It is true — says the stone —
I also was fire and loved from other banks,
today I’m a rush of water, cold and the shadow of night,
the serpents sing and dance in my body
to remember the origin
because that was the reason we came to earth
to be a stone of water and memory facing oblivion.
© 2007, Nicolás Suescún
From: Colibri de la noche desnuda
From: Colibri de la noche desnuda
THE STONE OF WATER
On the banks of a restless riverwe go asking the stones
about our passage through the world
and about the secrets of the great mountain.
Our voice says: for what did we come to this bank sister stone
if not to flower near the earth,
for what did we come to this sky
if not to sing our sorrows and joys?
It is true — says the stone —
I also was fire and loved from other banks,
today I’m a rush of water, cold and the shadow of night,
the serpents sing and dance in my body
to remember the origin
because that was the reason we came to earth
to be a stone of water and memory facing oblivion.
© 2007, Nicolás Suescún
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