Poem
Julián Malatesta
IN THE PORT OF SANTA LUCÍA
This ship is crazy.Yesterday it was seen due south,
Later we saw it sailing in the wake of the sun
Gathering night in its keel.
Now it goes round and round in the quays.
If the wind gets stronger there is a risk its wood will break.
This ship is crazy.
It carries a corpse on board
And the captain has not wanted to cast it into the sea.
The man has hit the bottle
And has a disturbance in his head;
The dead man dances on deck,
He agitates the memory of the ship and drives the compass crazy.
This ship is crazy.
In the port of Santa Lucía — the patroness of the blind —
The crew wanders around without work,
For even though they are old hands and skillful
No one employs them:
The shipping companies don’t forgive
Their having abandoned ship.
© Translation: 2006, Nicolás Suescún
En el puerto de Santa Lucía
En el puerto de Santa Lucía
Ese navío está loco.Ayer se le vio con rumbo al sur,
Luego lo vimos pasar tras la estela del sol
Recogiendo noche en su quilla.
Ahora gira y gira cerca de los cayos,
Si arrecia el viento hay riesgo de que rompa sus maderas.
Ese navío está loco.
Lleva un cadáver a bordo
Y el capitán no ha querido arrojarlo al mar.
El hombre se ha pegado a la botella
Y tiene en desorden la cabeza;
El muerto en cubierta danza,
Agita la memoria del barco y enloquece la brújula.
Ese navío está loco.
En el puerto de Santa Lucía –la patrona del ciego-,
Deambulan los tripulantes desalojados del oficio,
Aunque tienen pericia y conocen la faena,
Nadie les da empleo,
Las navieras no perdonan
Que hayan abandonado el navío.
© 2006, Julián Malatesta
From: El mecanógrafo del parque
Publisher: Unpublished.,
From: El mecanógrafo del parque
Publisher: Unpublished.,
Poems
Poems of Julián Malatesta
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IN THE PORT OF SANTA LUCÍA
This ship is crazy.Yesterday it was seen due south,
Later we saw it sailing in the wake of the sun
Gathering night in its keel.
Now it goes round and round in the quays.
If the wind gets stronger there is a risk its wood will break.
This ship is crazy.
It carries a corpse on board
And the captain has not wanted to cast it into the sea.
The man has hit the bottle
And has a disturbance in his head;
The dead man dances on deck,
He agitates the memory of the ship and drives the compass crazy.
This ship is crazy.
In the port of Santa Lucía — the patroness of the blind —
The crew wanders around without work,
For even though they are old hands and skillful
No one employs them:
The shipping companies don’t forgive
Their having abandoned ship.
© 2006, Nicolás Suescún
From: El mecanógrafo del parque
From: El mecanógrafo del parque
IN THE PORT OF SANTA LUCÍA
This ship is crazy.Yesterday it was seen due south,
Later we saw it sailing in the wake of the sun
Gathering night in its keel.
Now it goes round and round in the quays.
If the wind gets stronger there is a risk its wood will break.
This ship is crazy.
It carries a corpse on board
And the captain has not wanted to cast it into the sea.
The man has hit the bottle
And has a disturbance in his head;
The dead man dances on deck,
He agitates the memory of the ship and drives the compass crazy.
This ship is crazy.
In the port of Santa Lucía — the patroness of the blind —
The crew wanders around without work,
For even though they are old hands and skillful
No one employs them:
The shipping companies don’t forgive
Their having abandoned ship.
© 2006, Nicolás Suescún
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