Serie del Sol: “Excursionismo de Mochila 101” (A Translation)

We were supposed to bring a "talent" into Spanish 5 class today para el final día de clase. A poem, un canción, a drawing, a skill. My Spanish professor and I hemos hablado sobre poetry y traducción on a few occasions, y por eso decidí que I would bring in some of my own poemas, translated into español.

We didn't end up sharing the talents, but we did sing La Bamba and eat cake that the professor brought para nosotros. Era delicioso.

But now I have some translated poetry of my own, and I would like to share it with someone. I suppose since you're reading this, that someone is you. I just have to say that the process of translating my own words into Spanish was illuminating. It taught me that I don't know what many words really mean in English. My assumptions about connotation and my understanding of certain nuances have been shattered and rebuilt for some words. I am learning how to say what I really mean in English while simultaneously learning new words in Spanish. Even if you don't speak Spanish, just read or speak the words to hear their sound.

Please note: This is not a polished translation; this is a 1-hour before class, get it done without too much mistranslation translation. I'm including both the English (you'll notice, if you read my blog, that these are revisions of the Sun Series poems I posted here), and in the coming weeks, I will revise these translations to insure that they speak truly to what it is I want to say. Though perhaps the mistranslations will actually illuminate subconsciously what I mean; who knows?

Aquí son tres poemas para tí y para todas las personas y vidas que viven por la luz del sol!

“por qué es la luz”

si yo pueda reflejar la emanación gozosa de la hermosura

calmante, media-memoria, que es

esta luz de oro sobre esta cresta del mundo

yo abriría yo misma y respiraría (inhala) su calidez

y desprendería  (exhala) de cada poro sus emanaciones 

serías las plantas intricaditas y las hierbas desperdigadas respirando la vida, estira—

del sol del cielo (inspira más completamente tu vida, vive completamente en la presencia) y

pregunta, si tenga que, pregunta por qué.

“why is light”

if i could capture the joyful emanation of soothing mid-memory loveliness that is

this light of gold on this crest of world i would

open myself and breathe (inhale) its warmth

and release (exhale) from every pore its emanations

you would be intricate plants and sprawling grasses breathing in life, stretch—

from sun from sky (breathe in more fully your life, live fully in presence) and

ask, if you must, ask why.

 
 

“el paisaje del sol”

el paisaje del sol todo que veo es sol

las respiraciones oros cubren las profundidades plantosas de tierra con resplandecencia como

el rubor de nuestras mejillas despues—qué, qué hace esto evoca en tu subconsciente—después del mediodía  

hacía calor, caliente,

sudor en el piel como

el fuego, la lluvia en la tierra como

el suelo está por fuego (!), y

ahora es temperaturado-calma todos cuerpos simplemente son (Tierra simplemente es) y mis párpados saben que está allí,

la luz del sol arrojando las sombras de pestaña, pelo

(y ciertamente será tiempo)

si, y ¿resplandé? y

              ¿crezco?

en tierra como

tú y todo que eres resplanda

(has sepa todo esto ya, una vez o dos veces)

rayos somos rayos (levanta desprende levanta haz rodar),

y esa significa que piensas

lo significa pero yo siempre estoy donde estoy, y

puedes juntarme allí, aquí, el el paisaje del sol

 

“sunscape”

Sunscape all i see is sun

gold breaths cover the plantacious depths of Earth with glowing like

the glow of our cheeks after—what, what does this evoke in your subconscious—afternoon

was heated, hot,

sweat on skin like

fire, rain on earth like

the ground’s on fire (!), and

now is calm-temperatured all bodies simply are (Earth simply is) and my eyelids know it’s there,

the sunlight casting shadows of eyelash, hair,

(and indeed there will be time)

yes, and do i glow and

              do i grow

on soil like

you and all you are glows

(have you known this all already, once or twice)

rays we are rays (raise release raise roll),

and that means what you think

it means but i am always where I am, and

you can join me there, here, in the sunscape

 

“el sol poniente"
 

todo es espectramente y el sol brilla la luz del sol los colores alinean para imitar el océano que refleja el color refleja el cielo siluetado montañas contrastan oscuras a luminosas tierra al aire o, ¿saben el arte que están, el paisaje que crean para nosotros por solamente podemos ver en el mundo lo que está allí para estar visto pero no visto si no estar buscado ¿estamos enseñado a ver precioso donde vimos la puesta del sol¿ las crestas de las montañas moradas azules el ambiente de un día iluminado por hojas anaranjadas arboles blancos o es esencial a siendo vivo a ver vida como arte ¿arte es vida, somos arte? (arte define vida define arte) siempre recuerda cada día termina con un sol poniente.   

 

“setting sun”

all is spectrumal and the sun shines sunshine the colors line up to imitate the ocean who reflects the color reflects the sky silhouetted mountains contrast dark to light earth to air oh, do they know the art they are the landscape they create for us for only we may see the art as one may see in the world that which is there to be seen but unseen if not sought are we taught to see lovely where we see sunset mountain ridges purple blue backdrop to a day lit by orange leaves white trees or is it essential to being alive to see life as art is life art are we art (art defines life  defines art) always remember each day closes with a setting sun.