Poem
Raúl Zurita
6
Bruno is dead, Susana is dead. The black landand behind it the bloody gauze of the snow on
the mountains. The white surf rises and falls in
front. The small cities are white on the night
roads. They are like flecks of light suddenly
appearing and then nothing. Someone heard
them and now they are thousands of white
faces, with their teeth slightly reddened and the
eye sockets empty. My love letters. Then nothing.
I pass by small towns in the night. I pass by fur
flecked with blood. Both are tenuous. Bruno is
tenuous, Susana now is tenuous.
Words of love are tenuous, as the night is
tenuous, as the stalks of the daisies, yet they
scream when the wind bends them. They
scream and I hear them. My love letters are
tenuous. They have small flecks of blood and
saliva on them.
I am going back home, Bruno says. Susana also
says she is going back home.
© Translation: 2009, William Rowe
From: INRI
From: INRI
6
Bruno is dood, Susana is dood. Het zwarteveld en erachter het bloederige gaas van de sneeuw
in de bergen. Verderop gaat de witte branding
omhoog en omlaag. De kleine steden zijn wit op
de nachtelijke wegen. Ze lijken spetters licht
die plotseling verschijnen en daarna niets. Iemand
hoorde ze en nu zijn het duizenden witte gezichten,
met lichtrood gekleurde tanden en de oogholtes
leeg. Mijn liefdesbrieven. Daarna niets.
Ik doorkruis kleine dorpjes in de nacht. Ik doorkruis
vachten bespikkeld met bloed. Beiden zijn ijl.
Bruno is ijl, Susana is nu ijl.
Woorden van liefde zijn ijl, zoals de nacht
ijl is, zoals de stelen van de margrieten, maar
toch krijsen ze wanneer de wind ze dubbelklapt.
Ze krijsen en ik hoor ze. Mijn liefdesbrieven zijn
ijl. Er zitten kleine spikkels op, van bloed en speeksel.
Ik ga terug naar huis, zegt Bruno. Susana zegt ook
dat ze teruggaat naar huis.
6
Bruno está muerto, Susana está muerta. El camponegro y atrás la gasa sanguinolenta de la nieve de
las montañas. La rompiente blanca sube y baja
adelante. Las ciudades pequeñas son blancas en
los caminos de noche. Se asemejan a copos de luz
apareciendo de pronto y luego nada. Alguien los
oyó y ahora son miles de caras blancas, con los
dientes levemente enrojecidos y las cuencas de los
ojos vacías. Mis cartas de amor. Luego nada.
Cruzo pueblos pequeños en la noche. Cruzo
pelajes moteados de sangre. Ambos son leves.
Bruno es leve, Susana ahora es leve.
Las palabras de amor son leves, como la noche es
leve, como los tallos de las margaritas, sin
embargo ellos chillan cuando el viento los dobla.
Chillan y yo los escucho. Mis cartas de amor son
leves. Tienen pequeñas motas de sangre y saliva.
Vuelvo a casa, dice Bruno. Susana también dice
que vuelve a casa.
© 2004, Raul Zurita
From: INRI
Publisher: Editorial Visor, Madrid
From: INRI
Publisher: Editorial Visor, Madrid
Poems
Poems of Raúl Zurita
Close
6
Bruno is dead, Susana is dead. The black landand behind it the bloody gauze of the snow on
the mountains. The white surf rises and falls in
front. The small cities are white on the night
roads. They are like flecks of light suddenly
appearing and then nothing. Someone heard
them and now they are thousands of white
faces, with their teeth slightly reddened and the
eye sockets empty. My love letters. Then nothing.
I pass by small towns in the night. I pass by fur
flecked with blood. Both are tenuous. Bruno is
tenuous, Susana now is tenuous.
Words of love are tenuous, as the night is
tenuous, as the stalks of the daisies, yet they
scream when the wind bends them. They
scream and I hear them. My love letters are
tenuous. They have small flecks of blood and
saliva on them.
I am going back home, Bruno says. Susana also
says she is going back home.
© 2009, William Rowe
From: INRI
From: INRI
6
Bruno is dead, Susana is dead. The black landand behind it the bloody gauze of the snow on
the mountains. The white surf rises and falls in
front. The small cities are white on the night
roads. They are like flecks of light suddenly
appearing and then nothing. Someone heard
them and now they are thousands of white
faces, with their teeth slightly reddened and the
eye sockets empty. My love letters. Then nothing.
I pass by small towns in the night. I pass by fur
flecked with blood. Both are tenuous. Bruno is
tenuous, Susana now is tenuous.
Words of love are tenuous, as the night is
tenuous, as the stalks of the daisies, yet they
scream when the wind bends them. They
scream and I hear them. My love letters are
tenuous. They have small flecks of blood and
saliva on them.
I am going back home, Bruno says. Susana also
says she is going back home.
© 2009, William Rowe
From: INRI
From: INRI
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