Celia Celia

Celia

1
 
Y nada de lágrimas; esta mujer que cierran hoy
en su transparencia, ésta que guardan
en la litera ciega del muro
de cemento, como loca encadenada
al catre cruel en el dormitorio sin aire, sin
barquero ni barca, entre desconocidos sin rostro, ésta
es
únicamente la
Única
que nos tuvo a todos en el cielo
de su preñez.
Alabado
sea su vientre.
 
2
 
Y nada nada más; que me parió y me hizo
hombre al séptimo parto
de su figura de marfil
y de fuego
en el rigor
de la pobreza y la tristeza
y supo
oír en el silencio de mi niñez el signo
el Signo
sigiloso
sin decirme
nunca
nada.
Alabado
sea su parto.
 
3
 
Que otros vayan por mí ahora
que no puedo a ponerte
ahí los claveles
colorados de las Rojas míos tuyos
hoy
trece doloroso de tu martirio
los de mi casta que nacen al alba
y renacen; que vayan a ese muro por nosotros por Rodrigo
Tomás por Gonzalo hijo por Alonso; que vayan
o no si prefieren
o que oscura te dejen
sola
sola con la ceniza
de tu belleza
que es tu resurrección Celia
Pizarro
hija nieta de Pizarros
y Pizarros muerto Madre;
y vengas tú
al exilio con nosotros a morar como antes en la gracia
de la fascinación recíproca.
Alabado
sea tu nombre para siempre.
 

Celia

I
 
And no more tears; this transparent woman,
who today is sealed away,
this woman who now is walled
in a niche grave
like a madwoman chained
to a cruel bedstead in an airless room
with neither boat nor boatman, among faceless strangers,
this woman who, alone, is
The One,
who held us all in the heaven
of her body.
Blessed
be her womb.
 
II
 
And nothing nothing else; that she bore me and made me
a man with her seventh birth
her figure of fire
and of ivory
in the trials of poverty and sadness
and she knew
how to hear through the silence of my childhood the sign
the Secret
Sign
without ever
breathing
a word.
Blessed
be the fruit of her womb.
 
III
 
Let others go instead of me
I can't go now to put
the red carnations there
the carnations of the Rojases ‚— mine and yours ‚—
today
on the painful thirteenth day of your martyrdom
those family members who are born at dawn
and who are reborn ‚— let them go to that wall for us for Rodrigo
for Tomás for young Gonzalo for Alonso; let them go
or not as they wish
or let them leave you in the dark
alone
alone with the ashes
of your beauty
which are your resurrection Celia
Pizarro
daughter and granddaughter of Pizarros
of late Pizarros Mother;
and may you come with us
into exile dwelling as always in grace
and mutual delight.
Blessed
be thy name.
 

Celia

1
 
And let's have no tears; this woman who is closed today
in her transparency [fig. openness], this [woman] who is kept
in the closed niche of the wall
of cement, like a madwoman chained
to the cruel bedstead in the airless bedroom, without
boatman or boat, among faceless unknown people, this [woman]
is
solely
the Sole one
who held us all in the sky/heaven
of her pregnancy.
Blessed
be her womb.
 
2
 
And nothing nothing more; that she gave birth to me and made me
a man at the seventh birth of [i.e. given by]
her figure of ivory
and of fire
in the rigours
of poverty and sadness
and she knew
how to hear in the silence of my childhood the sign
the secret
Sign
without ever
saying
anything to me.
Blessed
be her childbirth.
 
3
 
Let others go instead of me now
I cannot to place for you
here the coloured
carnations of the Rojases mine yours
today
the painful thirteenth of your martyrdom
those
of my family/race who are born at dawn
and are reborn; let them go to that wall for us for Rodrigo
Tomás for young Gonzalo for Alonso; let them go
or not as they wish
or let them leave you in the dark
alone
alone with the ashes
of your beauty
which is your resurrection Celia
Pizarro
daughter granddaughter of Pizarros
and Pizarros [now] dead Mother;
and may you come
into exile with us to dwell as before in grace
and mutual fascination.
Blessed
be your name forever.
 

Original Poem by

Gonzalo Rojas

Translated by

Tom Boll with The Poetry Translation Workshop Language

Spanish

Country

Chile