o meio-confesso the half-confession

o meio-confesso

ao jogar lixo
no lixo e o lixo
não entrar no
lixo o que vale
não é a intenção
meia-confissão
há de voltar atrás
lidar com o lixo
pegar o lixo com a
mão terminar a
ação um lixo no
lixo não é lixo
o que faz o lixo
não é o cesto
o que faz o lixo
é o chão.
 

the half-confession

throwing trash
in the trash and the trash
not going into the
trash the intention
is not what counts
half-confession
will go back
deal with the trash
pick the trash up with the
hand finish the
deed some trash
in the trash is not trash
what makes it trash
is not the bin
what makes it trash
is the ground.
 

the half-confession

throwing trash
in the trash and the trash
not going into the
trash the intention
is not what counts
half-confession
will go back
deal with the trash
pick the trash up with the
hand finish the
deed some trash
in the trash is not trash
what makes it trash
is not the bin
what makes it trash
is the ground.
 
[FV: I’ve chosen to use ‘trash’ here as it is a more ambiguous word. ‘lixo’ can stand for rubbish, bins, trash, refuse, garbage, etc]

Original Poem by

Adelaide Ivánova

Translated by

Francisco Vilhena with Rachel Long Language

Portuguese

Country

Brazil