Poetry

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

It's National Poetry Month!  Jade has had me thinking about poetry and I came across this last week.  When I saw references to golden bees, flowing water, and dreams of gods I thought I'd post it here.  It's by Antonio Machado.

Last Night As I Was Sleeping

 
Last night as I was sleeping,
I dreamt—marvelous error!—
that a spring was breaking
out in my heart.
I said: Along which secret aqueduct,
Oh water, are you coming to me,
water of a new life
that I have never drunk?

Last night as I was sleeping,
I dreamt—marvelous error!—
that I had a beehive
here inside my heart.
And the golden bees
were making white combs
and sweet honey
from my old failures.

Last night as I was sleeping,
I dreamt—marvelous error!—
that a fiery sun was giving
light inside my heart.
It was fiery because I felt
warmth as from a hearth,
and sun because it gave light
and brought tears to my eyes.

Last night as I slept,
I dreamt—marvelous error!—
that it was God I had
here inside my heart.


Translated by Robert Bly

 You can read it in the original Spanish here.

It's quite lovely.

Comments

[avian-xj.livejournal.com]

That is indeed very lovely. I like the idea of turning failure into honey.

[peggy-2.livejournal.com]

and that is a beautiful icon, Av!

[avian-xj.livejournal.com]

It's on book two of the Japanese covers! I'd forgotten I had it :)

[peggy-2.livejournal.com]

Very nice, checkers! I'm forwarding the original to the students I know who are taking Spanish and have read the books.

[pcw-rcw.livejournal.com]

Really lovely poem. Neither one of us knows any Spanish--what is the original of the "-marvelous error-!" refrain?

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

I wondered that, too, because "bendita ilusión" doesn't sound to me like "marvelous error". Babel Fish translator says "blessed illusion" which carries a very different meaning. I suppose with poetry the translator brings artistic license to the translation.

Anyone know Spanish who can attest to the authenticity of translating the "feel" of the poem?

btw, who is that in your icon?

[estarria.livejournal.com]

*has a Spanish minor*
"Blessed illusion" is really a better way to translate "bendita ilusión" than "marvelous error" is. And in my opinion, it makes more sense too, since a dream is more of an illusion than an error. Though "marvelous error" does sound really neat in English. And the word they translate as "failures" (amarguras) is better translated "bitternesses"...which is a highly awkward word in English, but is a prettier thought, in my opinion. The rest of it actually seems pretty well done to me, though like I said, I've only got a minor so someone else may know more.

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Thanks! "Blessed" and "marvelous" are very different, too. Blessed carries a sense of religion and being favored by gods. But I have to say that the marvelous error line is what attracted me to the poem from the start.

[estarria.livejournal.com]

Ah, good point about "blessed". I thought the marvelous error line was lovely too, honestly, even though it's not literal.

[pcw-rcw.livejournal.com]

Thanks estarria for the Spanish info...it's good to have that and the original translation to sort of produce a meld of what's meant by the poet.

[pcw-rcw.livejournal.com]

...btw, who is that in your icon?...

pcw_rcw is the username for two people, Perri and Richard. The icon is our default userpic and is intended to more or less depict the two of us. Further info about it can be found at http://pcw-rcw.livejournal.com/12569.html -- note especially the end of the original post and the last sentence of the very last comment.

Nothing to do with the MWT books, although Richard and I just now had fun thinking of who the two could represent in them!

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

...uh, Checkers, this is the part where I STEAL YOUR POEM FOR MY F-LIST most of whom have Sounis on their f-list but oh well this poem is BEEYOOTIFUL.

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Steal away! The only reason I was thinking about poetry was because of you and your recent entries. Otherwise, I don't think I'd have even noticed it. ♥ ♥ ♥

Edited to add: The more I read this poem, the more I love it.

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

:-D glad I could make people aware! that's the whole point! :-D

yes. yes very much.

[pigrescuer.livejournal.com]

I love your icon, checkers.

It's a beautiful poem.

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I nicked it from someone, can't remember who.