Poems

Like Red-Hot Lava

Notes

Nataly Kelly writes:
[1] In Ecuador, the word Oriente has a double meaning. It is not just the East, but indeed refers to a region of Ecuador, which starts with the slopes of the Andes and extends into the Amazon rainforest through to the border with Peru.


[2] Iwia symbolizes the jungle as a serious threat to human beings, and is sometimes referred to as an evil spirit or a demon. In María Clara's words, ‘Iwia is a cannibal spirit that devours humans.'


[3] Arutam is in many senses like the Christian concept of the Holy Spirit, an all-powerful being. María Clara explains, 'Arutam is the one that gives you the strength to live, the power, the force, and the life. It is the beginning of the beginning of everything. Arutam lives beyond the waterfalls in order to dream and see the future, the present, and to repair the past.

Sarah Maguire writes: This beautifully erotic poem was a delight to translate. Nataly's literal translation needed little amendation and, if you compare the two versions, you'll see that we changed only a few details, such as 'time stood still' for 'the time to remain'.