IDILIO MUERTO
Qué estará haciendo esta hora mi andina y dulce Rita
de junco y capulí;
ahora que me asfixia Bizancio, y que dormita
la sangre, como flojo cognac, dentro de mí.
Dónde estarán sus manos que en actitud contrita
planchaban en las tardes blancuras por venir;
ahora, en esta lluvia que me quita
las ganas de vivir.
Qué será de su falda de franela; de sus
afanes; de su andar;
de su sabor a cañas de mayo del lugar.
Ha de estarse a la puerta mirando algún celaje,
y al fin dirá temblando: «Qué frío hay… Jesús!»
y llorará en las tejas un pájaro salvaje.
–César Vallejo, Los heraldos negros (1919)
What would she be doing now, my sweet Andean Rita
of rush and tawny berry;
now when Byzantium asphyxiates me, and my blood
dozes, like thin cognac, inside of me.
Where would her hands, that showing contrition
ironed in the afternoon whitenesses yet to come,
be now, in this rain that deprives me of
my desire to live.
What has become of her flannel skirt; of her
toil, of her walk;
of her taste of homemade May rum.
She must be at the door watching some cloudscape,
and at length she’ll say, trembling: “Jesus…it’s so cold!”
And on the roof tiles a wild bird will cry.
–Trans. Eshleman (2007). I have posted the video before, but now we have the text of the relevant poem.
Axé.
coldhearted scientist وداد 
I hope you are okay. On the news it looks as if your area is getting clobbered.
Gracias – it is why I posted the rain poem – yes this is Hurricane Humberto … but we only have the outer bands and it was Category 1. It rained started raining yesterday and then rained hard night and morning but now it’s cleared up. 🙂
So there is a new translation.. Hmm..
Yes there is, Andy, I believe Prof. Gold to have told you so in a previous of your postings, where you finished translating a different poem. Besides, that does it, I’m reporting you to the Military Police or something.
Cheers,
Peek!
Dolores
Love, love, LOVE your emphasis in this blog on Paulo Freire. I’ve just now started reading his work; there is a lot of power is his teaching, power I can give my students. Keep up the good work!
Right Dolores, but in a different blog; I am writing a second one already…
Thanks for your concern, again.
I really like Cesar Vallejo and I did not know there was a new translation until Professor Gold let me know on her comment.
Regards,
Andres