Bibaneniá' lalu' I Woke With Your Name

Bibaneniá' lalu'

Bibaneniá' lalu' naga' ndaani' yanne'.
Pa niní' ca naya' ni gunié'xcaanda'
ñuuyapiá' nusabalú diuxi.
Bandaa cayuni xhiiña' lu gueela'
sica ti gubaana' biziidichaahui'.
Ne lu bi za'bi' guendaruyadxí bana' xtinne'
naaze nanda guidiruaa.
 
Gasti' nou' qui runebia'ya' ndaani' yoo ra nuaa'
ne zacá ladxiduá' cayacaditi
sica ti xcuidi guladxi bi'cu'.
Rahuayaa bicuininá' xquendabiaane'
ti guibani chaahui'.
Laga ti gayuaa bigose buubu
ziyásanene lu layú ladxiduá'. 
 
Ze'gu' lu beeu huaxhinni.
Naaze guppa larigueela' yaase' xtí' guibá'.
Pa ñanna' caniéxcaanda' qui nundaa' ca nalu',
pa ñanna' zabane' niguiidxedxiiche' lii ti que ñelu'.
Rigui'ba' ti yuuba' ra yanne'
ne ricaa runi xtí' ladxiduá'.
 
Paraa nda' nuu ca luyaande sicarú lu' ya',
paraa nda' ca guidiruaalu'.
Biaanaru' xiixa xtinne'
ndaani' ladxidó'lo' la?
Huandí' nga ma' biaanda' lii
ni gúcanu la?
 
Bibaneneá' lalu' naga' ndaani' yanne'.
 

I Woke With Your Name

I woke with your name stuck in my throat.
If my hands would say what I dreamed last night
I would certainly see God lower his view.
The termite labors at night
like an experienced thief.
And in the air my languid face hangs
with a light trembling of lips.
 
Nothing exists in this house that I do not know
but even so my heart trembles
like a child running around with a dog.
I bite the feet of my understanding
so that its clumsiness will wake up.
Meanwhile a flock of rooks
lifts into flight,slowly, from the empty field of my soul.
 
It's night and the moon is covered.
The humidity suffocates the black sheet of the sky.
If I had known I was dreaming
I would not have let go of your hands.
If I had known I was dreaming
I would have hugged you strongly
so you wouldn't leave.
A pain rises up my throat
and appropriates my heart.
 
In what place do your large, beautiful eyes walk about,
in what place your lips.
Does anything of mind still
exist within your heart?
Is it true that you'll forget
all that we were?
 
I woke with your name stuck in my throat.
 

First published in ASH

Original Poem by

Victor Terán

Translated by

Shook Language

Zapotec

Country

Mexico