Susan Smith Nash

TRANSLATING bpNichol TRANSLATING TTA 4


Guyra ipepo remóirô, oveve mante ipohá
Traditional Guaraní saying: By flying so alone, the bird cures the itch in his wing

Hey Icarus        is the wax or    the wings
or the brave futility of it all    that itches so much?
Estás muy, pero muy lejos del árbol para papeles -
           The papers aren't saying anything
Tupâ-resápe close to sun & still not blinded by the light
reaching for the sun
          he chéve pe tembi'u -- y la comida huele a alas quemadas

                   stone towers doubling for the heavens
tearing their hearts out
          naiporâi cheve ne rembiapo -- los sacrificios embrutecen a la gente
                                        did you ever meet a Jesuit Icharus?

                    Mountain / montaña / yvyty
cold wind, Macchu Piccu hiding in the sun
ghost donning the Icarus wings for centuries
                  destiny's joke -- ñembohory

wings itching, needing to fly
                the burn a formula for desire
voló para liberarse de los límites
of a World waiting to be called "New"
                              qué suerte, lucky guy
                                          ohapy hekove


notes:

Estás muy, pero muy lejos del árbol para papeles: (Spanish)
You're very, very far from the tree of paper.
Tupâ-resápe: (Guaraní) In sight of the presence of the sun.
he chéve pe tembi'u: (Guaraní) I like this food.
y la comida huele a alas quemadas: (Spanish) and the food smells like burned wings.
naiporâi cheve ne rembiapo: (Guaraní) I don't like your behavior.
los sacrificios embrutecen a la gente: (Spanish) The sacrifices coarsen the people.
montaña – (Spanish) mountain
yvypy – (Guaraní) mountain
ñembohory -- (Guaraní) joke
voló para liberarse de los límites – (Spanish) he flew to free himself of limits
qué suerte -- (Spanish) what luck
ohapy hekove -- (Guaraní) they burned him alive


Copyright © 1998 by Susan Smith Nash.

Return to TTA 29 Home Page.

Return to Light and Dust poets.
Return to Kaldron.

Go to bpNichol's Translating Translating Apollinaire.

This is a cooperative presentation of Kaldron
and Light and Dust Mobile Anthology of Poetry.