Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Vito Apüshana (Miguel Ángel López)

WOMEN-BIRDS

It so happened that one afternoon I saw two stone curlews running.
They passed fast by my bower, singing: leu, leu, leu, mah . . . leu, leu, leu, mah”.
There was a moon rising over the red repose of the sun . . . and
I saw them vanish on the road to the pool of Mariirop.
Already at night a dream happened in me . . . full of women-birds:
there was Jiet-Wüittüsü, the woman-bluebird, knitting with all the colours of time; 
Jiet-Wawaachi, the woman-turtledove, called her children: 
                                     bring life here! bring life here!;
Jiet-Shotii, the woman-owl, lying in wait, with fire in her eyes,
for the desired man; Jiet-chünü’ü, the woman-humming bird, renewing the
flowers of forgotten dreams . . . and many birds and many women;
Jiet-Kaarai, the woman-stone-curlew, there, full of omens in each 
beat of her heart; Jiet-wuluui, the woman-troupial, allotting the fresh water of laughter; 
Jiet-lisho, the woman-cardinal, holding the surroundings in her ash-red wings. 

On awakening I told my dream to my mother . . . and she smiled without looking at me: 
Aaa, she is a wainpirai . . . a woman-mockingbird!” . . . and since then 
I have been discovering the hidden feathers of the women who warm us.

MUJERES-AVES

MUJERES-AVES

En una tarde ocurrió que vi correr a dos alcaravanes.
Pasaron veloces por mi enramada, cantando: “leu, leu, leu ma . . . leu, leu, leu ma”.
Había luna subiendo sobre el rojo descanso del sol . . . y
los vi perderse por el camino que va hacia el jagüey de Mariirop.
Entrada la noche sucedió un sueño en mí . . . lleno de mujeres-aves:
estaba Jiet-Wüittüsü, la mujer-azulejo, tejiendo con todos los colores del tiempo;
Jiet-Wawaachi, la mujer-tórtola, llamaba a sus hijos: 
                                              ¡traigan la vida aquí! ¡traigan la vida aquí! ;
Jiet-Shotii, la mujer- lechuza, acechando, desde el fuego de sus ojos,
al hombre deseado; Jiet-chünü’ü, la mujer-colibrí, renovando las flores de los sueños
olvidados . . . y muchas aves y muchas mujeres;
Jiet-Kaarai, la mujer-alcaraván, allá, henchida de presagios en cada
latido de su corazón; Jiet-wuluui, la mujer-turpial, repartiendo el agua fresca de la risa;
Jiet-Iisho, la mujer-cardenal, sosteniendo el entorno en sus alas rojicenizas.

Al despertar le conté mi sueño a mi madre . . . y sonrió sin mirarme:
“¡Aaa, ella es una wainpirai... una mujer-sinsonte!”. . . y a partir de entonces
he venido descubriendo las plumas ocultas de las mujeres que nos abrigan.
Close

WOMEN-BIRDS

It so happened that one afternoon I saw two stone curlews running.
They passed fast by my bower, singing: leu, leu, leu, mah . . . leu, leu, leu, mah”.
There was a moon rising over the red repose of the sun . . . and
I saw them vanish on the road to the pool of Mariirop.
Already at night a dream happened in me . . . full of women-birds:
there was Jiet-Wüittüsü, the woman-bluebird, knitting with all the colours of time; 
Jiet-Wawaachi, the woman-turtledove, called her children: 
                                     bring life here! bring life here!;
Jiet-Shotii, the woman-owl, lying in wait, with fire in her eyes,
for the desired man; Jiet-chünü’ü, the woman-humming bird, renewing the
flowers of forgotten dreams . . . and many birds and many women;
Jiet-Kaarai, the woman-stone-curlew, there, full of omens in each 
beat of her heart; Jiet-wuluui, the woman-troupial, allotting the fresh water of laughter; 
Jiet-lisho, the woman-cardinal, holding the surroundings in her ash-red wings. 

On awakening I told my dream to my mother . . . and she smiled without looking at me: 
Aaa, she is a wainpirai . . . a woman-mockingbird!” . . . and since then 
I have been discovering the hidden feathers of the women who warm us.

WOMEN-BIRDS

It so happened that one afternoon I saw two stone curlews running.
They passed fast by my bower, singing: leu, leu, leu, mah . . . leu, leu, leu, mah”.
There was a moon rising over the red repose of the sun . . . and
I saw them vanish on the road to the pool of Mariirop.
Already at night a dream happened in me . . . full of women-birds:
there was Jiet-Wüittüsü, the woman-bluebird, knitting with all the colours of time; 
Jiet-Wawaachi, the woman-turtledove, called her children: 
                                     bring life here! bring life here!;
Jiet-Shotii, the woman-owl, lying in wait, with fire in her eyes,
for the desired man; Jiet-chünü’ü, the woman-humming bird, renewing the
flowers of forgotten dreams . . . and many birds and many women;
Jiet-Kaarai, the woman-stone-curlew, there, full of omens in each 
beat of her heart; Jiet-wuluui, the woman-troupial, allotting the fresh water of laughter; 
Jiet-lisho, the woman-cardinal, holding the surroundings in her ash-red wings. 

On awakening I told my dream to my mother . . . and she smiled without looking at me: 
Aaa, she is a wainpirai . . . a woman-mockingbird!” . . . and since then 
I have been discovering the hidden feathers of the women who warm us.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère