Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Frank Báez

NOCTURNE

From this side of the jetty you can make out
each light from a building or a street lamp
as if they were boats.
 
Occasionally a freighter or a cruise ship leaves
the port with all of its lights glowing
and heads out across the sea.
 
And then you imagine those flickering
coastal lights also transforming into ships
and the houses and buildings begin to unmoor
and all of Santo Domingo sets sail.

NOCTURNE

Van deze kant van de kade zien
de lichten van de gebouwen en de lantaarns langs de kust
eruit alsof het boten zijn.
 
Af en toe komt er een koopvaardij- of een cruiseschip
met alle verlichting aan de haven uitgevaren
klaar om de zee te doorkruisen.
 
Dan dringt het beeld zich aan je op dat de twinkelende lichtjes
aan de kuststrook ook boten vormen
dat de huizen en de gebouwen zich de zee op begeven
en dat heel Santo Domingo het ruime sop kiest.
 
 

NOCTURNO

De este lado del malecón se distinguen
las luces de los edificios y los faroles de la costa
como si fuesen barcos.
 
A veces un barco mercantil o un crucero sale
del puerto con todas sus luces prendidas
y atraviesa el mar.
 
Entonces uno imagina que las luces parpadeantes
de la costa también se transforman en barcos
y que las casas y edificios se desplazan por el mar
y que Santo Domingo entero se echa a navegar.
 
Close

NOCTURNE

From this side of the jetty you can make out
each light from a building or a street lamp
as if they were boats.
 
Occasionally a freighter or a cruise ship leaves
the port with all of its lights glowing
and heads out across the sea.
 
And then you imagine those flickering
coastal lights also transforming into ships
and the houses and buildings begin to unmoor
and all of Santo Domingo sets sail.

NOCTURNE

From this side of the jetty you can make out
each light from a building or a street lamp
as if they were boats.
 
Occasionally a freighter or a cruise ship leaves
the port with all of its lights glowing
and heads out across the sea.
 
And then you imagine those flickering
coastal lights also transforming into ships
and the houses and buildings begin to unmoor
and all of Santo Domingo sets sail.
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