Poem
Aurelio Arturo
Rains
it happens like thisthe rain
a calm counting of syllables begins
in the pretty clearings of the forest
where the sun plays and mingles
the slow syllables and then
lets out the same old tune
thus begin those immemorial rains
of a complaining voice
that speak of primitive ages
and lull generations
and continue narrating catastrophes
and glories
and powerful germinations
cataclysms
floods
sinkings of towns and races
of cities
rains that come from the depths of the millenia
with their insidious songs
their germinal word that bewitches and captivates
and their flowing countless bars
that can be prisons
or harps
or lyres
but suddenly
they become smiling and slender
they dance
they populate the earth with big leaves
luxurious
with flowers
and with a slight and tender happiness
with humid words
salivated words
they talk to us about wonderful countries
and of the rivers that come down from the sky
we forget their dirge
and we love them then because they are docile
and they help us
and they fertilize the wide earth
the black
and green
and golden earth
© Translation: 2004, Raúl Jaime Gaviria
Translated with the collaboration of Edgardo Arturo and Nicolás Suescún
Translated with the collaboration of Edgardo Arturo and Nicolás Suescún
Lluvias
Lluvias
ocurre asíla lluvia
comienza un pausado silabeo
en los lindos claros del bosque
donde el sol trisca y va juntando
las lentas sílabas y entonces
suelta la cantinela
así principian esas lluvias inmemoriales
de voz quejumbrosa
que hablan de edades primitivas
y arrullan generaciones
y siguen narrando catástrofes
y glorias
y poderosas germinaciones
cataclismos
diluvios
hundimientos de pueblos y razas
de ciudades
lluvias que vienen del fondo de milenios
con sus insidiosas canciones
su palabra germinal que hechiza y envuelve
y sus fluidas rejas innumerables
que pueden ser prisiones
o arpas
o liras
pero de pronto
se vuelven risueñas y esbeltas
danzan
pueblan la tierra de hojas grandes
lujosas
de flores
y de una alegría menuda y tierna
con palabras húmedas
embaidoras
nos hablan de países maravillosos
y de que los ríos bajan del cielo
olvidamos su treno
y las amamos entonces porque son dóciles
y nos ayudan
y fertilizan la ancha tierra
la tierra negra
y verde
y dorada
© 1972, Aurelio Arturo
From: Morada al sur
Publisher: Oveja Negra, Bogotá
From: Morada al sur
Publisher: Oveja Negra, Bogotá
Poems
Poems of Aurelio Arturo
Close
Rains
it happens like thisthe rain
a calm counting of syllables begins
in the pretty clearings of the forest
where the sun plays and mingles
the slow syllables and then
lets out the same old tune
thus begin those immemorial rains
of a complaining voice
that speak of primitive ages
and lull generations
and continue narrating catastrophes
and glories
and powerful germinations
cataclysms
floods
sinkings of towns and races
of cities
rains that come from the depths of the millenia
with their insidious songs
their germinal word that bewitches and captivates
and their flowing countless bars
that can be prisons
or harps
or lyres
but suddenly
they become smiling and slender
they dance
they populate the earth with big leaves
luxurious
with flowers
and with a slight and tender happiness
with humid words
salivated words
they talk to us about wonderful countries
and of the rivers that come down from the sky
we forget their dirge
and we love them then because they are docile
and they help us
and they fertilize the wide earth
the black
and green
and golden earth
© 2004, Raúl Jaime Gaviria
Translated with the collaboration of Edgardo Arturo and Nicolás Suescún
From: Morada al sur
Translated with the collaboration of Edgardo Arturo and Nicolás Suescún
From: Morada al sur
Rains
it happens like thisthe rain
a calm counting of syllables begins
in the pretty clearings of the forest
where the sun plays and mingles
the slow syllables and then
lets out the same old tune
thus begin those immemorial rains
of a complaining voice
that speak of primitive ages
and lull generations
and continue narrating catastrophes
and glories
and powerful germinations
cataclysms
floods
sinkings of towns and races
of cities
rains that come from the depths of the millenia
with their insidious songs
their germinal word that bewitches and captivates
and their flowing countless bars
that can be prisons
or harps
or lyres
but suddenly
they become smiling and slender
they dance
they populate the earth with big leaves
luxurious
with flowers
and with a slight and tender happiness
with humid words
salivated words
they talk to us about wonderful countries
and of the rivers that come down from the sky
we forget their dirge
and we love them then because they are docile
and they help us
and they fertilize the wide earth
the black
and green
and golden earth
© 2004, Raúl Jaime Gaviria
Translated with the collaboration of Edgardo Arturo and Nicolás Suescún
Translated with the collaboration of Edgardo Arturo and Nicolás Suescún
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