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EL CUERVO y Dos Traducciones
EL CUERVO y Dos Traducciones
Original: Edgar Allan Poe, "The Raven", The Raven and Other Poems, 1845, pp. 1-5
THE RAVEN
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore —
[page 2:]
That I scarce was sure I heard you" — here I opened wide the door; ——
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore!"
Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore —
Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
Not the least obeisance made he; not an instant stopped or stayed he;
[page 3:]
Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore —
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door —
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Till I scarcely more than muttered "Other friends have flown before —
Disaster Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore —
[page 4:]
But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door;
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er,
Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
"Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee — by these angels he hath sent thee
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"
[page 5:]
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant
Aidenn, It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore —
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."
"Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!" I shrieked, upstarting — "
Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
[Traducción más literal de Arturo Sánchez en edición de Libros Río Nuevo, Barcelona, 3ª ed. 1976]
de mis libros una distracción para mi tristeza, para mi tristeza para mi Leonor perdida,
extrañado dudando, soñando más sueños que ningún mortal se habría atrevido a soñar,
Empujé la ventana hacia afuera, cuando, con una gran agitación y movimientos de alas
pero, con una actitud de Lord o de Lady, trepó sobre la puerta de mi habitación,
Estremecido por la calma, rota por una réplica tan bien dada,
siguió rápido y siguió más rápido hasta que sus acciones fueron un refrán único.
me impulsó a empujar de súbito un sillón delante del pájaro, del busto y la puerta;
frente al ave cuyos fieros ojos, ahora, quemaban lo más profundo de mi pecho;
Entonces, creo, el aire se volvió más denso, perfumado por un invisible incienso
por ese cielo que se cierne sobre nosotros, por ese dios que ambos adoramos,
podré abrazar a una joven santificada a quien los ángeles llaman Leonor,
abrazar a una preciosa y radiante doncella a quien los ángeles llaman Leonor”.
“Que esta palabra sea la señal de nuestra separación, pájaro o demonio – grité incorporándome.
No dejes ni una pluma negra como prenda de la mentira que ha dicho tu alma.
ya no se levantará...¡Nunca más!
El cuervo
[Traducción de Efraim Otero Ruiz, que trata de recuperar la música del original]