Fracture in gold* Fractura en oro*

Fracture in gold*

Imagine the hands holding the pieces
that have shattered; the attention that cleans,
witnesses and attends to the breaks.
How would the fragments feel as liquid glue
is applied? Then, when dry, the brush
lighting up the joins with powdered gold.
 
I see mine gleaming like a stream across
my belly, after the ectopic that nearly took me;
across my mouth for the sorrow of not speaking
my ancestors’ tongue. But like the source
of a river, all ruptures are born in the heart.
A corazón in need of repair then.
 
What if our yóllotl, our heart’s golden seams
illuminated our way in the world?
 
_______________________________________________
 
*Inspired by the Japanese art of Kintsugi
 
corazón; heart, Spanish
yóllotl: heart, Náhuatl, the most widely spoken indigenous language.
 

Fractura en oro*

Imagina las manos sujetando pedazos
que se han quebrado; la atención que limpia,
que es testigo y atiende a las roturas.
¿Cómo se sentirían los fragmentos mientras el pegamento líquido
Es aplicado? Luego, una vez seco, el pincel
alumbraría las suturas con polvo de oro.
 
Veo las mías brillar como un arroyo a través
de mi vientre, después del ectópico que casi me lleva;
a través de mi boca por la pena de no hablar
la lengua de mis ancestros. Pero como la fuente
de un río, toda ruptura nace del corazón.
Un heart que hay que reparar, pues.
 
¿Y que si nuesto yóllotl, con sus junturas doradas
iluminara nuestro camino en el mundo?
 
—————————————————————————————————————————————
Notas
 
*Inspirado en el Kintsugi, arte japonés
heart; corazón en inglés
yóllotl: corazón en Náhuatl, la lengua indígena más hablada
 

Fractura en oro

Imagínate las manos sujetando los trozos
que se quebrantaron; la atención que limpia,
que se fija en las roturas y atiende a ellas.
¿Cómo se sentirían los fragmentos mientras el pegamento líquido
se aplica? Luego, al secarse, el cepillo que
ilumina las junturas con oro en polvo.
 
Las mías, las veo relucientes como un arroyo que atraviesa
la barriga, después del ectópico que por poco se me llevó;
las veo atravesando la boca por la pena de no hablar
la lengua de mis antepasados. Pero como las fuentes
de un río, toda ruptura nace en el corazón.
Un heart que hace falta arreglar, pues.
 
¿Y si nuestro yóllotl, si las costuras doradas del corazón
nos alumbrasen el camino en el mundo?
 

We discussed the poem’s title in detail and proposed various alternatives, such as ‘Fisura en oro’, ‘Rotura en oro’, and ‘Fractura dorada’. Finally, after translating the entire poem, we arrived at a definitive title. We agreed upon ‘Fractura en oro’ as it seemed to fit the original title better. It conveyed physical fracture and a more abstract fragmentation, including linguistic, cultural, and historical aspects.

In the second line, we deliberated about the word ‘shattered’ in relation to the pieces being held. Initially, we considered using ‘hecho añicos’, but we decided to use the more visual ‘que se han quebrado’. This option tries to emphasise the fragmentation that is present throughout the poem.

During our conversation about the term ‘liquid glue’, we discussed how it is referred to in various Latin American countries. We came across terms like ‘cola’, ‘goma’, and ‘pegote’. Initially, ‘pegamento líquido’ seemed lengthy and clunky for a translation, and the connection between the two seemed too obvious. However, we ultimately decided that it was the most appropriate choice. This was because it maintained the watery connotation that links the substance to a stream, and we couldn’t find another Spanish word for glue that didn’t sound odd or too technical for the poem’s register.

We had a fascinating debate about how to translate ‘corazón’ and ‘yóllotl’. Both these words are a direct reference to Marina’s tongues and identities. We felt that it was important to translate ‘corazón’ into English while keeping the Náhuatl word to emphasise the language that the poet refers to in the second stanza, which talks about ‘the sorrow of not speaking my ancestor’s tongue.’

Sánchez’s poem prompted us to consider the fractures in migrant identity and how to explore bilingualism and mixed heritage as poets and translators.

Leo Boix, Poet-facilitator

Original Poem by

Marina Sánchez

Translated by

Jon Herring with Latinx Creatives Workshop Language

English

Country

Mexico