Thursday, 14 September 2023

luis garcia montero

it's been a long time since i posted any poetry and, to be honest, i can't remember what i last read in english. i do, however, still like reading poetry in other languages, not least for the vocabulary practice! here's this  (i don't know who the translation is by - not me or it would've been shonkier!)


La ausencia es una forma de invierno

 

Como el cuerpo de un hombre derrotado en la nieve,

con ese mismo invierno que hiela las canciones

cuando la tarde cae en la radio de un coche,

como los telegramas, como la voz herida

que cruza los teléfonos nocturnos,

igual que un faro cruza

por la melancolía de las barcas en tierra,

como las dudas y las certidumbres,

como mi silueta en la ventana,

así duele una noche,

con ese mismo invierno de cuando tú me faltas,

con esa misma nieve que me ha dejado en blanco,

pues todo se me olvida

si tengo que aprender a recordarte.


Absence is a form of winter


Like a man's body defeated in the snow,

with that same winter that freezes the songs

when afternoon falls on a car radio,

like telegrams, like the voice wounded

who crosses the late night phones,

Just like a cross lighthouse

for the melancholy of the ships on land,

like doubts and certainties,

like my silhouette in the window,

so it hurts one night,

with that same winter when I miss you,

with the same snow that has left me white,

because I forget everything

if I have to learn to remember you.


you can listen to him reading it here

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