Sergio Raimondi
THE MINOR POET ON THE BIRTH OF HIS SON
Having found, after searching for days, his pencil
in the cabin of the little toy fire truck,
and witnessing the independent judgment
of his heir, who tears up the preferred pages
and intact leaves the rejects, the minor poet
decides to discuss with his wife a key question:
the organisation of time and space for his work,
at home, after the birth of their son.
And this talk touches on various questions:
purchasing groceries and cleaning products,
revenue payments, turns to give the child
care, entertainment, food and hygiene,
the lack of care, entertainment, food
and hygiene for the couple, the need to record
his first steps, how often to use what is known
– by the vulgar masses – as a dummy,
nice ways of keeping the grandparents at bay.
When a mutual muteness marks the end,
the minor poet realises that his concerns
have been displaced by more pressing needs.
That night, like an inspired romantic
taking advantage of the mortals’ silence
to give space for his verses to take flight,
he sings, for hour after hour, a lullaby.
DE MINDERE DICHTER EN DE GEBOORTE VAN ZIJN ZOON
Na zijn potlood, dagenlang zoek al, te hebben aangetroffen
in de cabine van de speelgoedbrandweerauto
en de kritische onafhankelijkheid te hebben vastgesteld
van de stamhouder, die zijn favoriete pagina’s verscheurt
en de onbenullige intact laat, besluit de mindere dichter
een belangrijk onderwerp aan te snijden bij zijn vrouw:
de ruimte- en tijdtechnische organisatie van zijn werk,
thuis, na de geboorte van hun zoon.
Tijdens het gesprek komen tal van zaken aan bod:
aanschaf van etenswaar en schoonmaakartikelen,
belastingaanslagen, afspraken omtrent verzorging,
vermaak, voeding en hygiëne van het kind,
gebrek aan verzorging, vermaak, voeding
en hygiëne voor het stel, eerste stapjes die
moeten worden vastgelegd, gebruiksfrequentie
van wat in de volksmond fopspeen heet,
het vriendelijk op afstand houden van grootouders.
Wanneer ze tot slot dan maar gezamenlijk zwijgen
stelt de mindere dichter vast dat zijn zorgen
plaats hebben gemaakt voor dringender noden.
Als een geïnspireerd romanticus die de stilte
der stervelingen aangrijpt om zijn gevleugelde
verzen de vrije ruimte te geven, zingt hij
die nacht urenlang een wiegeliedje.
EL POETA MENOR ANTE EL NACIMIENTO DE SU HIJO
Luego de hallar, tras días de búsqueda, el lápiz
en la cabina del camioncito de los bomberos,
y de comprobar la independencia de juicio
del heredero, que rompe las páginas predilectas
e intactas deja las indiferentes, el poeta menor
decide dialogar con su mujer sobre un tema clave:
la organización espacial y temporal de su labor,
en la casa, luego del nacimiento del hijo.
A lo largo de la conversación se tocan varios temas:
compra de comestibles y artículos de limpieza,
pago de impuestos, turnos para el cuidado,
diversión, alimentación e higiene del niño,
ausencia de cuidado, diversión, alimentación
e higiene de la pareja, necesidad de registrar
sus primeros pasos, frecuencia de uso del
– vulgarmente denominado – chupete,
amables formas de imponer distancia a los abuelos.
Cuando una mutua mudez evidencia el final,
el poeta menor comprueba que su inquietud
ha sido desplazada en vista de otras urgencias.
Esa noche, como un inspirado romántico
que aprovechase el silencio de los mortales
para dejar fluir el carácter alado de sus versos,
canta durante horas una canción de cuna.
From: Poesía civil
Publisher: Vox, Bahía Blanca
THE MINOR POET ON THE BIRTH OF HIS SON
Having found, after searching for days, his pencil
in the cabin of the little toy fire truck,
and witnessing the independent judgment
of his heir, who tears up the preferred pages
and intact leaves the rejects, the minor poet
decides to discuss with his wife a key question:
the organisation of time and space for his work,
at home, after the birth of their son.
And this talk touches on various questions:
purchasing groceries and cleaning products,
revenue payments, turns to give the child
care, entertainment, food and hygiene,
the lack of care, entertainment, food
and hygiene for the couple, the need to record
his first steps, how often to use what is known
– by the vulgar masses – as a dummy,
nice ways of keeping the grandparents at bay.
When a mutual muteness marks the end,
the minor poet realises that his concerns
have been displaced by more pressing needs.
That night, like an inspired romantic
taking advantage of the mortals’ silence
to give space for his verses to take flight,
he sings, for hour after hour, a lullaby.
From: Poesía civil
THE MINOR POET ON THE BIRTH OF HIS SON
Having found, after searching for days, his pencil
in the cabin of the little toy fire truck,
and witnessing the independent judgment
of his heir, who tears up the preferred pages
and intact leaves the rejects, the minor poet
decides to discuss with his wife a key question:
the organisation of time and space for his work,
at home, after the birth of their son.
And this talk touches on various questions:
purchasing groceries and cleaning products,
revenue payments, turns to give the child
care, entertainment, food and hygiene,
the lack of care, entertainment, food
and hygiene for the couple, the need to record
his first steps, how often to use what is known
– by the vulgar masses – as a dummy,
nice ways of keeping the grandparents at bay.
When a mutual muteness marks the end,
the minor poet realises that his concerns
have been displaced by more pressing needs.
That night, like an inspired romantic
taking advantage of the mortals’ silence
to give space for his verses to take flight,
he sings, for hour after hour, a lullaby.
Sponsors
