Poetry Translations

1. Between going and staying the day wavers, by Octavio Paz

Between going and staying the day wavers,

in love with its own transparency.
The circular afternoon is now a bay
where the world in stillness rocks.

All is visible and all elusive,

all is near and can't be touched.

Paper, book, pencil, glass,

rest in the shade of their names.

Time throbbing in my temples repeats

the same unchanging syllable of blood.

The light turns the indifferent wall

into a ghostly theater of reflections.

I find myself in the middle of an eye,

watching myself in its blank stare.

The moment scatters. Motionless,

I stay and go: I am a pause.

जजजज जजज जजजजजज जजज जजजजजज जजजज,

जजजज:जजजजज जजजजजजजजजजजजजज जजजजजजज जजजजजज.
जजज जज जजजजजजजजजज जजजजज जजज जज जजजजजज
जजजजजज जजजजजजजजज जजजजजज जज.
जजजजज जजजजज जजज जजज जजज जजजजजज,
जजजज जजज जजजज, जजजजज जजजजजजज.
जजजज, जजजजजज, जजजजजजज,जजजजज
जजजज जजज जजजजजजजज जजजजजजजज जजजजजज जजजजजज.
जजजजजज जजजजजज जजजजजजजज जजज
जजजज जजजजजजजजजज
जजजजज जजजजजजजजज ज जजजजजजजजज
जजजजजजजजजजज
जजजजजज जजजज जजजजजजज
जजजजजजजजज जजजजजजज
जजजजजजजजजजजज जजजजजज जजजजजजजज.
जज जजजजज जजजज:जज
जजज जजजजजजजजजज जजजजजजजज
जजजजजजज जजजज
जजजजजजजजज जजजजजज.
जजजज जजजजजजज. जजजजजज,
जज जजजजजज जजज जजजज: जज जजजज जज जजजजज.

2. Residue- Carlos Drummond de Andrade

From everything a little remained.

From my fear. From your disgust.
From stifled cries. From the rose
a little remained.

A little remained of light

caught inside the hat.
In the eyes of the pimp
a little remained of tenderness,
very little.

A little remained of the dust

that covered your white shoes.
Of your clothes a little remained,
a few velvet rags, very
very few.

From everything a little remained.

From the bombed-out bridge,
from the two blades of grass,
from the empty pack
of cigarettes a little remained.

So from everything a little remains.

A little remains of your chin
in the chin of your daughter.

A little remained of your

blunt silence, a little
in the angry wall,
in the mute rising leaves.

A little remained from everything

in porcelain saucers,
in the broken dragon, in the white flowers,
in the creases of your brow,
in the portrait.

Since from everything a little remains,

why won't a little
of me remain? In the train
travelling north, in the ship,
in newspaper ads,
why not a little of me in London,
a little of me somewhere?
In a consonant?
In a well?

A little remains dangling

in the mouths of rivers,
just a little, and the fish
don't avoid it, which is very unusual.

From everything a little remains.

Not much: this absurd drop
dripping from the faucet,
half salt and half alcohol,
this frog leg jumping,
this watch crystal
broken into a thousand wishes,
this swan's neck,
this childhood secret...
From everything a little remained:
from me; from you; from Abelard.
Hair on my sleeve,
from everything a little remained;
wind in my ears,
burbing, rumbling
from an upset stomach,
and small artifacts:
bell jar, honeycomb, revolver
cartridge, aspirin tablet.

From everything a little remained.

And from everything a little remains.

Oh, open the bottles of lotion
and smoother
the cruel, unbearable odor of memory.

Still, horribly, from everything a little remains,

under the rhythmic waves
under the clouds and the wind
under the bridges and under the tunnels
under the flames and under the sarcasm
under the phlegm and under the vomit
under the cry from the dungeon, the guy they forgot
under the spectacle and under the scarlet death
under the libraries, asylums, victorious churches
under yourself and under your feet already hard
under the ties of family, the ties of class,
from everything a little always remains.
Sometimes a button. Sometimes a rat.
जजजजजज
जजजजजजजजज जजजजजज जजजजजजज जजजजजज
जजजजजज जजजजजजज, जजजजजज जजजजजजज.
जजजजजजजज जजजजजजजजजजजज, जजजजजजजजज
जजजजजज जजजजजजज जजजजजज.
जजजजजजजज जजजजजजजजज जजजजजजजजजज,
जजजजजजजजज जजजजजजजजजज
जजजजजज जजजजजजज जजजज जजजजजजजज
जजजजजजज.
जजजज जजजजजज जजजजजजज
जजजजजज जजजजजजजज जजजजजजज जजजजजजज जजज
जजजजजज जजजजजजजजजजज जजजजजज जजजजजजजजज
जजजज, जजजजज जजजजजज
जजजजज जजजजजजज
जजजजजजजजज जजजजजज जजजजज जजजजजज.
जजजजजजज जजजजजजज जजजजजजजज जजजजजजज,
जजजजजजजज जजज जजजजजजजजजज,
जजजजजजजजजजज जजजजजजजज जजजजजजजजज,
जजजजजज जजजजजजज जजजजजज.
जज जजजजजजजजजज जजजजजज जजजज जजजज
जजजजजज जजजजजजजजज जजजज जजजजजज
जजजजजज जजजजजजज जजजजजज जजजजजजजजज
जजजजजज जजजज जजजजजजजजज जजजजज जजजजजज जजजजजज जजजजज
जजजजजज जजजजजजजजजज, जजज जजजजजजजजज जजजजजजजजजज.
जजजजजजजजजजज जजजज जजजजजज जजजजज
जजजज जजजजजजजज जजजजजजजजजजज,
जजजजजजजजज जजजजजजजजजजज, जजजजजजजज जजजजजजजजजज,
जजजजजज जजजजजजजजजजजजजजज जजजजजजज जजजजजजजजज
जजजजजजजजजजजजजजज.
जजजजजजजजजजज जज जजज जजजज जजजजजज,
जज जजजज जजजजज जजजजजज जजजज जज जजजज?
जजजजजजजजज जजजजजजजज जजजजजजजजजज, जजजजजजजजज
जजजजजजजजजजजजजजजजजज जजजजजजजजजजजजजज,
जजजजजज जज जज जजजज जजज जजजजजज जजजजजजजजज?
जजजजजज जज जजजजजजज?
जजजजजजज जजजजजज?
जजजजजजज जजजजजजज?
जजजजजज जजजजजज जजजजज जजजजज
जजजजजजजजजज जजजजजजजज, जजजज जजजजजजज,
जजज जजजज जजजजज जजज जजजजज जज
जज जजजज.
जजजजजजजजज जजजजज जजजज,
जजजजज जजजज: जज जजजजज जजजज
जजजजजज जजजजजजजज,
 जजजजज जजज जजज जजजजज जजजजजजजज,
जज जजजजज जजजजजजज जजजजजजज जजज,
जज जजजज जजजजजजजजजजज जजजजजजजजज
जजजजजजजजज जजजजजज,
जज जजजजजज जजज,
जज जजजजजजजज जजजजज...
जजजजजजजजज जजजज जजजजजजज,
जजजजजजजजज, जजजजजजजजज,
जजजजजज जजजजजजजजज जजजजजजजजजज जजजजजजज,
जजजजजजजजज जजजज जजजजजज.
जजजजजज जजजजजजजज जजजज,
जजज जजजजजज जजजजजज जजजजजज
जजजजजजजज जजजजज, जजजजज जजजज, जजजजजजजजजज
जजजजजज, जजजजजजजजजजज जजजज.
जजजजजजजजजज जजजजजज जजजजज जजजजज.
जजज जजजजजजजजजज जजजजजज जजजजज जजजजजज
जजज जजजजजज जजजजज
जजज जजजजज जजज
जजजजजजजज जजजजज, जजजजज जजज.
जजजजज, जजजजजजजज
जजजजजजजजजज जजजजजज जजजजज जजजजजज,
जजजजजज जजजजजजजजज,
जज जजज जजजजजजजजजज,
जजज जजज जजजजजज जजजजजजजजजजज,
जजजजजजजजजजज जजज जजजजजजजजजज,
जजजजजजज जजज जजजजजजजज,
जजजजजज जजजजज जजजजजजजज जजजजजजजजज
जजजजजजजजजजज,
जजजज जजजजजजजजजजजज जजज जजज जजजजजजजजजज,
जजजजजजजज, जजजजजजजजजज जजज जजजजज जजजजजजजजजज,
जजजजजजजजजज जजज जजजजजज जजजजजजज जजजजज जजजजजजजज
जजजजजजजजजज,
जजजजजजजज जजजजजजजजजजज जजज जजजजजज जजजजजजजजजजज,
जजजजजज जजजजजज जजजज जजजजजजजजज.
जजज जजजजज जजज, जजज जजजजज जजजजज

3. The City -Constantine Cavafy

You said: “I’ll go to another country, go to another shore,

find another city better than this one.
Whatever I try to do is fated to turn out wrong
and my heart lies buried like something dead.
How long can I let my mind moulder in this place?
Wherever I turn, wherever I look,
I see the black ruins of my life, here,
where I’ve spent so many years, wasted them, destroyed them totally.”

You won’t find a new country, won’t find another shore.

This city will always pursue you.
You’ll walk the same streets, grow old
in the same neighborhoods, turn gray in these same houses.
You’ll always end up in this city. Don’t hope for things elsewhere:
there’s no ship for you, there’s no road.
Now that you’ve wasted your life here, in this small corner,
you’ve destroyed it everywhere in the world.

जजज
जज जजजजजजजज: " जज जजजज जजजजजजज जजजजजजजज,जजजजज जजज
जजजजजज,
जजजजजजज जजजजज जजजजज जजज जजजजज जजजजजज.
जज जजजजजज जजजजज जजजजज जजजज जजजजजजजज जजज
जजजजजजज जजजजज जजजजज जजजजज जजजज जज
जजजजज जजज जजज जज जजज जजजज जजजज?
जजज जजजजज जजजज जजजजजज जजजजजज जजजजजजजजज जजजजज जजजजज
जजज जजजज जजजज जजजजजज जज जजजजजजज जजजजज."
जजजज जजजज जजजजजजज जजजजज जजजजज,जजजजजज जजजज जजज जजजजजज
जज जजज जजजजजज जजजज जजजज.
जज जजजजजजजज जजजजजज जज जजजजज जजजज जजजजजज जजजज,
जज जजजजज जजजजजज जजजजज जजजज
जजज जजजजज जजजजजजजज जजजजज जजजजजज जजजजज जजजजजजज.
जज जजजजज जजजजजज जजज जजजजज
जजजजजज जजजजजजजज जजजजजज जजजजज जजजजजजजजजज
जजज जजजजजज जजज.
जज जजजजजजजज जजजजज.
जजज जज जजजजज जजजजज जजजज:जज जजज
जजजज जजजज जजजजज जजजज जजजजजज