A Poetic Meditation on Paradox: Selections from Poemas Quince by Luis Cruz-Villalobos

We present here a selection of poems from Part I and II of Prof. Cruz-Villalobos’ collection, which he composed during the course of 2015. Six of these poems have been chosen by Luis for our site and are here being translated into English for the first time.

As you will see below, he has selected them based upon the uniting theme of paradox, a dimension in our current posts.

The first three of these we present today.

Enjoy!

And thank you, Luis!

Poemas Quince

A poetic compilation from one year

 

Part I 

 

 TENDERNESS

The general asleep in his misery and cruelty

Without knowing orders tenderness

 

The multitude asleep in their brazenness and rebellion 

Without knowing ask for tenderness

 

The executioner asleep in his habit of cold death

Without knowing cries out for tenderness

 

The serpent asleep in his poisonous shrewdness

Without knowing prays for tenderness

 

Men asleep in their fierce loneliness

Without knowing demand tenderness

 

Women asleep in their longing for shelter

Without knowing beg for tenderness

 

Children asleep in their games and crying

Without knowing cry for tenderness

 

And God awake in his triune and eternal rounds 

From all time asks for us tenderness

Note on the translation:

In the Spanish original (presented below), the refrain uses the same verb (pedir) in each iteration. As this verb, however, has multiple meanings (ask, order, demand, pray for, etc.) which would be understood in Spanish based upon the context, we have made the decision to make these particular meanings explicit in our translation.

TERNURA

 El general dormido en su miseria y crueldad

Sin saber pide ternura

 

La multitud dormida en su desgarro y rebelión

Sin saber pide ternura

 

El verdugo dormido en su hábito de fría muerte

Sin saber pide ternura

 

La serpiente dormida en su venenosa sagacidad

Sin saber pide ternura

 

Los hombres dormidos en sus feroces soledades

Sin saber piden ternura

 

Las mujeres dormidas en sus anhelos de cobijo

Sin saber piden ternura

 

Los niños dormidos en sus juegos y sus llantos

Sin saber piden ternura

 

Y Dios despierto en su ronda trina y eterna

Desde siempre nos pide ternura.

I RETURN TO THE CORNERS OF THIS TERRIFYING MELODY

 

I return to the corners

Of this terrifying melody

Time and time again

As one who enjoys

Lightning striking into my bones

As one who enjoys

Writhing

In the dark night of the hurricane

 

So

Sweet and childish

I go back and forth

To the dark corners

Of this melody that has marked me

A tatoo upon my skin and my age

Almost a wound

Almost a hidden mark in the folds of my soul

I return naked stripped of myself

Emptied of history and stories

Only poetry

Only the instant fleeting and covert

So

Time and time again

I return

Imprisoned within the bars

Of a sound that defeats me

Tosses me into the abyss soft and sweet

Of memory gone away

Puts me to sleep in the numb of nostalgia

Of that which never was

Loses me

Gives me

Leaves me

Turns me to the distant plains and mountains

Of places I’ll never see

But have longed for

Like bread and song

 

VUELVO A LOS RINCONES DE ESTA MELODÍA TERRIBLE

 

 

Vuelvo a los rincones

De esta melodía terrible

Una y otra vez

Como quien goza

Con el relámpago sobre los huesos

Como quien goza

Con el retorcerse

En la oscura noche del huracán

 

Así

Dulce y niño

Vuelvo y vuelvo

A los oscuros rincones

De esta melodía que me ha marcado

Tatuaje de piel y siglo

Casi herida

Casi marca oculta en los pliegues del alma

 

Vuelvo desnudo de mí

Vacío de historias y cuentos

Solo poesía

Solo instante fugaz y furtivo

Así

Una y otra vez

Vuelvo

Aprisionado en los compases

De un sonar que me derrota

Me lanza al abismo tenue y dulce

De la memoria ida

Me adormece en la nostalgia

De lo que nunca fue

Me pierde

Me da

Me va

Me gira a las lejanas llanuras y montes

De lugares que nunca veré

Pero que he anhelado

Como el pan y el canto.

 

 

ODE TO MYSTERY

Mystery

You who come

To my door

And to my windows

As light darkened

And remote

And kisses my mouth

And my temple

With your halo

 

Come and calm

My desert

Of you

Come and bear

In the long night

Wait

Next to our beads

And breath softly

To know that you are here

While we set off to the other side

Of the sea

Stroke our forehead

With your hand

Soft and warm

Of mother

 

Stay here

Next to our body

That cries out 

 

Stay and give us

With your gentle breath

The most enduring

And profound peace.


 

ODA AL MISTERIO

 

Misterio

Que vienes

A mi puerta

Y a mis ventanas

Como luz oscura

Y remota

Y me besas la boca

Y la sien

Con tu halo

 

Ven y calma

Mi desierto

De ti

Ven y sostennos

En esta noche larga

Aguarda

Junto a nuestros lechos

Y respira suave

Para saber

Que aquí estás

Mientras partimos al otro lado

Del mar

 

Toca nuestra frente

Con tu mano

Suave y tibia

De madre

 

Quédate aquí

Junto a nuestro cuerpo

Que clama

 

 

Quédate y danos

Con tu suave aliento

La más duradera

Y profunda paz.


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Poetic Identity and the pathway beyond the “linear, causal diachronic” into the “circular, synergetic, synchronic” (Luis Cruz-Villalobos)

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El Verbo Aquí: “And the Word Was With God”; “And the Word Was God”; “The Same Was In the Beginning with God”