Pedro Salinas: “My voice because of you (49)”

 

My voice because of you

 

Translated by Shyal Bhandari (University of St Andrews)

 

49

 

You cannot love me:

you are high, so high up!

And to console me

you send me shadows, copies,

portraits, simulacra,

all so alike

as if they were you.

Between figurations

I live, of you, without you.

They love me,

accompany me. We go

through cloisters of water,

through the floating ice,

through the pampa, or to deep

and minute picture houses.

Always talking about you.

They tell me:

‘We are not she, but

what a likeness!’

Your spectres, what long

arms and hard lips

they have: yes, like you.

Pretending you love me,

they hug me and kiss me.

Their tender voices say

that you hug and you

kiss like that. I live

in shadows, among shadows

of warm, beautiful flesh,

with your eyes, your body,

your kisses, yes, with everything

that is yours except you.

With false and divine

creatures interposed

so that great kiss

we cannot give each other

they give to me, I give to them.

 

La voz a ti debida

 

49

 

Tú no puedes quererme:

estás alta, ¡qué arriba!

Y para consolarme

me envías sombras, copias,

retratos, simulacros,

todos tan parecidos

como si fueses tú.

Entre figuraciones

vivo, de ti, sin ti.

Me quieren,

me acompañan. Nos vamos

por los claustros del agua,

por los hielos flotantes,

por la pampa, o a cines

minúsculos y hondos.

Siempre hablando de ti.

Me dicen:

«No somos ella, pero

¡si tú vieras qué iguales!»

Tus espectros, qué brazos

largos, qué labios duros

tienen: sí, como tú.

Por fingir que me quieres,

me abrazan y me besan.

Sus voces tiernas dicen

que tú abrazas, que tú

besas así. Yo vivo

de sombras, entre sombras

de carne tibia, bella,

con tus ojos, tu cuerpo,

tus besos, sí, con todo

lo tuyo menos tú.

Con criaturas falsas,

divinas, interpuestas

para que ese gran beso

que no podemos darnos

me lo den, se lo dé.

 

De La voz a ti debida, 1933

 

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