Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Maruja Vieira

HENRY THE NAVIGATOR

On the dawn of May eighteen
the “Santa Eulalia” weighed anchors.
The captain was on the bridge.

The old wise mariner
relit his pipe
and consulted
his ancient astrolabe.

There were his books, intact,
the bow and arrows,
the games,
the disks,
the cats.

We remained ashore
looking at his going away
on his last unexpected
voyage.

Is he going to the Arctic,
where the great grandfather
was looking for
Captain Franklin’s
lost expedition?

He’ll always
sail by night,
running along
the Milky Way,
a lord of shadows
and music,
of puzzles and engines.

Then he’ll
anchor
on a star
of the Taurus
constellation
and when we
look up at the sky
we’ll see
the “Santa Eulalia” lights
twinkling.

ENRIQUE EL NAVEGANTE

ENRIQUE EL NAVEGANTE

En el amanecer del dieciocho de mayo
zarpó el “Santa Eulalia”.
El capitán iba en el puente de mando.

El viejo marino sabio
volvió a encender su pipa
y consultó un antiquísimo
astrolabio.

Allí estaban sus libros,
intactos.
El arco y las flechas,
los juegos, los discos,
los gatos.

Nos quedamos en tierra,
mirándolo partir
en su último viaje
inesperado.

¿Va rumbo al Ártico
donde el bisabuelo
buscaba la expedición
perdida
del Capitán Franklin?

Navegará siempre
en la noche,
recorriendo la Vía Láctea,
señor de sombras
y de música,
de rompecabezas
y máquinas.

Después anclará
en una estrella
de la constelación
de Tauro
y cuando miremos
al cielo
en las noches claras
veremos brillar
las luces
del “Santa Eulalia”.
Close

HENRY THE NAVIGATOR

On the dawn of May eighteen
the “Santa Eulalia” weighed anchors.
The captain was on the bridge.

The old wise mariner
relit his pipe
and consulted
his ancient astrolabe.

There were his books, intact,
the bow and arrows,
the games,
the disks,
the cats.

We remained ashore
looking at his going away
on his last unexpected
voyage.

Is he going to the Arctic,
where the great grandfather
was looking for
Captain Franklin’s
lost expedition?

He’ll always
sail by night,
running along
the Milky Way,
a lord of shadows
and music,
of puzzles and engines.

Then he’ll
anchor
on a star
of the Taurus
constellation
and when we
look up at the sky
we’ll see
the “Santa Eulalia” lights
twinkling.

HENRY THE NAVIGATOR

On the dawn of May eighteen
the “Santa Eulalia” weighed anchors.
The captain was on the bridge.

The old wise mariner
relit his pipe
and consulted
his ancient astrolabe.

There were his books, intact,
the bow and arrows,
the games,
the disks,
the cats.

We remained ashore
looking at his going away
on his last unexpected
voyage.

Is he going to the Arctic,
where the great grandfather
was looking for
Captain Franklin’s
lost expedition?

He’ll always
sail by night,
running along
the Milky Way,
a lord of shadows
and music,
of puzzles and engines.

Then he’ll
anchor
on a star
of the Taurus
constellation
and when we
look up at the sky
we’ll see
the “Santa Eulalia” lights
twinkling.
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