DE AMOR OSCURO/OF DARK LOVE, poemas políticos de amor, por Francisco X. Alarcón

IV                                                                                 IV

tus manos son dos martillos que                     your hands are two hammers that

     clavan                                                                        joyfully

y desclavan alegres la mañana,                       nail down and pry up the morning,

tiernos puños desdoblados de                         tender fists that unfold from

    tierra,                                                                          earth,

dulces pencas de plátanos pequeños            sweet bunches of small bananas

tus manos huelen a las                                        your hands smell of the

    zarzamoras                                                               blackberries

que cosechas en los campos que                   you harvest in the fields that

    roban                                                                          steal

tu sudor a dos dólares el bote,                        your sweat at two dollars a bucket,

son duras, tibias, jóvenes y sabias                they are hard, warm, young and wise

 

azadones que traen pan a las mesas,         hoes that bring bread to the tables,            

oscuras piedras que al chocar dan                dark stones that give light when

    luz,                                                                               struck,            

gozo, sostén, ancla del mundo                        pleasure, support, anchor of the

    entero                                                                         world

yo las venero como relicarios                         I worship them as reliquaries

porque como gaviotas anidadas,                   because as nesting sea gulls,

me consuelan, me alegran, me                        they console, delight, defend

    defienden                                                                   me

 

XIV                                                                              XIV

¿cómo consolar al hombre más solo              how to console the loneliest man

de la tierra? ¿cómo aliviar su pena?               on earth? how to relieve his pain?

¿cómo llamar a su puerta                                   how to call through his bolted

    atrancada                                                                   door

y decirle al oído embocado de                         and have one’s soul speak to his

    alma:                                                                            ear:

«hermano, la guerra ya ha                                   «brother, the war is now

    terminado:                                                                 over:

todos, por fin, salimos                                           all of us in the end emerged

    vencedores:                                                                victors:

sal, goza los campos                                                go forth and enjoy the liberated

    liberados:                                                                      fields:

la explotación es cosa del pasado?»                  exploitation is a thing of the past?»

 

¿qué hacer cuando regrese                                  what to do when he returns,

    malherido                                                                     wounded

con alambre de púas entre las                             with barbed wire between his

    piernas?                                                                          legs?

¿cómo encarar sus ojos que                                   how to face his eyes

    denuncian:                                                                     accusing:

 

«hermano, el mundo sigue                                      «brother, the world goes on the

    igual:                                                                                  same:

los pobres todavía somos presa                             we the poor are still easy prey,

    fácil:                                                                                    love,

el amor, si no es de todos, no                                   if it isn’t from all, is just not

    basta?»                                                                                enough?»