Neruda XCV

[XCV]
¿Quiénes se amaron como nosotros? Busquemos
Who else has loved like us? Let us seek
las antiguas cenizas del corazón quemado
the ancient ashes of the burnt heart
y allí que caigan uno por uno nuestros besos
and there let our kisses fall one by one
hasta que resucite la flor deshabitada.
until the deserted flower returns to life.

Amemos el amor que consumió su fruto
Let us cherish the love that consumed its fruit
y descendió a la tierra con rostro y poderío:
and came down to earth with face and power:
tú y yo somos la luz que continúa,
you and I are the light that carries on —
su inquebrantable espiga delicada.
its delicate, unbreakable ear of grain.

Al amor sepultado por tanto tiempo frío,
To this love entombed for so much frigid time,
por nieve y primavera, por olvido y otoño,
by snow and Spring, forgetfulness and Fall,
acerquemos la luz de una nueva manzana,
let us draw close the light of a new apple,

de la frescura abierta de una nueva herida,
that of the open freshness of a new wound,
como el amor antiguo que camina en silencio
like the ancient love that walks in silence
por una eternidad de bocas enterradas.
through an eternity of buried mouths.

Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada. Cien sonetos de amor 1924, Pablo Neruda y Herederos de Pablo Neruda 1994, Random House Mondadori Cuarta edición en U.S.A: febrero 2004

[English translation is mine.]

(c) 2020 JMN

About JMN

I live in Texas and devote much of my time to easel painting on an amateur basis. I stream a lot of music, mostly jazz, throughout the day. I like to read and memorize poetry.
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