Poem
Giovanni Quessep
Arch of ice
In the garden, the moonleaves an arch of ice over the wall;
and in the color there is a silence, that goes
from purple to blue towards the dark.
Pendent from a grave something
we fall into the abyss of the things
that are no longer the quiet music.
The agony is the center, here there were roses
that had their clear noon.
But, in its flight, the balsamic song
closed whatever was canticle and gave place
to the sound of the cicada and its iced wings.
Don’t tell us then
that life – because you have always loved it-
calls us to a forest of secret perfumes
if its just a wall of calcinated glass.
© Translation: 2003, Raúl Jaime Gaviria
Arco de hielo
Arco de hielo
En el jardín, la lunadeja un arco de hielo sobre el muro;
y hay un silencio en el color, que pasa
del púrpura al azul hacia lo oscuro.
Pendientes de algo grave
caemos al abismo de las cosas
que ya no son la música callada.
La agonía es el centro, aquí hubo rosas
que tuvieron su claro mediodía.
Mas, la canción balsámica, en su vuelo
cerró lo que era cántico y dio paso
al son de la cigarra y sus alas de hielo.
No nos digas entonces
que la vida –pues siempre la has amado-
nos llama a una floresta de secretos perfumes
si tan sólo es un muro de vidrio calcinado.
© 2001, Giovanni Quessep
From: Revista Prometeo
From: Revista Prometeo
Poems
Poems of Giovanni Quessep
Close
Arch of ice
In the garden, the moonleaves an arch of ice over the wall;
and in the color there is a silence, that goes
from purple to blue towards the dark.
Pendent from a grave something
we fall into the abyss of the things
that are no longer the quiet music.
The agony is the center, here there were roses
that had their clear noon.
But, in its flight, the balsamic song
closed whatever was canticle and gave place
to the sound of the cicada and its iced wings.
Don’t tell us then
that life – because you have always loved it-
calls us to a forest of secret perfumes
if its just a wall of calcinated glass.
© 2003, Raúl Jaime Gaviria
From: Revista Prometeo
From: Revista Prometeo
Arch of ice
In the garden, the moonleaves an arch of ice over the wall;
and in the color there is a silence, that goes
from purple to blue towards the dark.
Pendent from a grave something
we fall into the abyss of the things
that are no longer the quiet music.
The agony is the center, here there were roses
that had their clear noon.
But, in its flight, the balsamic song
closed whatever was canticle and gave place
to the sound of the cicada and its iced wings.
Don’t tell us then
that life – because you have always loved it-
calls us to a forest of secret perfumes
if its just a wall of calcinated glass.
© 2003, Raúl Jaime Gaviria
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