[a cadeira] [the chair]

[a cadeira]

havia somente uma cadeira para o casal
na cadeira se sentava a esposa ovulada
e se sentava a esposa menstruada
o homem na cadeira se sentava ereto havia
somente esta convenção entre o casal
que a cadeira fosse o rito regulador
da sujidade espécie de objeto de contaminação
das coisas mulher nas coisas homem
depois se deitavam na tão somente cama para um
nunca aconteceu a gravidez e a esposa morreu sentada
na cadeira o marido se casou de novo mas
a nova esposa trouxe junto outra cadeira e
nunca aconteceu a gravidez pensou
o marido primeiro
não usamos a mesma cadeira
o marido morreu na primeira cadeira
e a segunda esposa ficou com a casa
com a somente cama e se desfez da primeira
cadeira
um pescador comprou a cadeira por três
sardinhas magras e se sentava na cadeira
diante do mundo e exatamente do mundo se soube
cercado da áurea primeira
uma cadeira onde a primeira
e a contaminação
o pescador estava a gerar outra cadeira
a terceira
uma
filha daquela convenção primeira
 

[the chair]

there once was a couple with only one chair
in the chair sat the ovulated wife
and sat the menstruated wife
the man sat in the chair erect there was
this one convention between the couple
that the chair would be a regulating ritual 
of the dirtiness type of object of contamination 
of the woman things in the man things 
afterwards they lay in the very only bed for one
pregnancy never happened and the wife died sitting
in the chair the husband married again but
the new wife brought along another chair and
pregnancy never happened thought 
the first husband
we’re not using the same chair
the husband died in the first chair
and the second wife kept the house
with the only bed and she got rid of the first
chair
a fisherman bought the chair for three
scrawny sardines and sat in the chair
facing the world and precisely the world he knew he was
fenced off from the first aura
a chair where the first one 
and the contamination
the fisherman was creating another chair
the third
a 
daughter of that first convention
 

[the chair]

there was only one chair for the couple
in the chair sat the ovulated wife
and sat the menstruated wife
the man in the chair sat erect there was
only this convention between the couple
that the chair would be the regulating ritual
of dirtiness kind of object of contamination
of the woman things in the man things
then they lay down in the only one bed for one
pregnancy never happened and the wife died sat
in the chair the husband married again but
the new wife brought another chair and
pregnancy never happened thought
the first husband
we didn’t use the same chair
the husband died in the first chair
and the second wife ended up with the house
with the only bed and she got rid of the first
chair
a fisherman bought the chair for three
thin sardines and sat in the chair
facing the world and exactly from the world knew himself
surrounded by the first aura 
a chair where the first
and the contamination
the fisherman was generating another chair
the third
a
daughter of that first convention
 

The group really enjoyed the strange and surreal qualities of this poem and were fascinated by the emphasis of the chair, the claustrophobic atmosphere of the poem and way the language glided between different dictions – one moment using abstract somewhat officious language (‘object of contamination’), then in the next line shifting to a suggestive but idiomatically vague form of speech (‘of the woman things in the man things’). We decided to start the poem with a nod to the fable quality with ‘there once was…’ and tried to retain the child-like breathlessness of lines like ‘afterwards they lay in the very only bed for one’. The fascinating conversation on this poem meant that we ran low on time and, given more time, we would have explored these juxtapositions further. We also noted the interesting links to recurring images / motifs in Diacov’s other poems, a very different though still highly resonate and symbolic use of sardines can be found in the poem holding hands.

Edward Doegar, Commissioning Editor

Original Poem by

Carla Diacov

Translated by

Annie McDermott with The Poetry Translation Workshop Language

Portuguese

Country

Brazil