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Finding a way to talk about the reading experience is, I've realised, the greatest pleasure of writing; where it ends is of no importance.

Stephen Mitchelmore


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🦋 Brandished back against the lances of the sun

Source material for a poem I posted today in comments at Dave Bonta's Morning Porch -- this is from Pablo Antonio Cuadra's Songs of Cifar and of the Sweet Sea (which, happy day, I discover Tony Bigras of turtleislands.net has uploaded in full). Translation is my own, with reference to that of Grace Schulman and Ann McCarthy de Zavala.

Caballos en el Lago

Los caballos bajan al amanecer.

Entran al lago de oro y avanzan
-- ola contra ola
el enarcado cuello y crines --
a la cegadora claridad.
Muchachos desnudos
bañan sus ancas
y ellos yerguen
ebrios de luz
su estampa antigua.
Escuchan
-- la oreja atenta --
el sutil clarín de la mañana
y miran
el vasto campo de batalla.
Entonces sueñan
-- bulle
la remota osadía --
se remontan
a los días heroicos,
cuando el hierro
devolvía al sol sus lanzas
potros blancos
escuadrones de plata
el grito
lejanísimo de los pájaros
y el viento.

Pero vuelven

(Látigo
es el tiempo)

Al golpe
enfilan hacia tierra
-- bajan la frente --
y uncido
al carro
el sueño
queda
atrás
dormido
el viento.

Horses in the Lake

The horses come down at daybreak.

They enter into the golden lake, and on
-- wave after wave
the long arched necks, the manes --
into the blinding clearness.
And naked boys
are bathing their haunches
drunk with light
they're lifting up
their ancient image.
They listen
-- ears perked up --
to the morning's subtle trumpet
and they gaze
on the enormous field of battle.
And then they dream
-- and glimpse
remote effrontery --
rising back up
to the days of glory,
when steel met
the sun's proud lances
stallions white
and squadrons silver
the cries
of distant birds and
of the wind.

But they return

(Before
the whip of time)

And struck
move slowly back to land
-- they bow their heads --
they're yoked to
the wagon
the dream
remains
behind
asleep
the wind.

posted afternoon of Monday, July 4th, 2011
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