Brazilian Poetry


I tried to translate some of my favorite poets, but though I've been doing translations all my life, to translate poetry is quite another matter (the words don't seem to sound right in another language!) Anyway I tried to let you know some of our poets, I hope you like them. I'll do some more when I have more time.

Idle Tears
Mario Quintana: The Poems: Poems are like birds that arrive you don't know from where and alight in the book you are reading. When you close the book they fly away , they don't have home or port, they stay one instant in each pair of hands and go away. And you look then dazed on your empty hands, in the incredible wonder of knowing that their essence was already in you.

Lachrymae
Viní­cius de Morais: The sonnet of separation: Suddenly laughter was turned to sorrow silent and white like the mist and mouths joined together were turned to foam and hands drove away what once they welcomed. Suddenly the calm was turned to wind that blew out the last flame in the eyes And passion was turned to foreboding and the frozen moment was turned to drama.Suddenly, no more than suddenly the lover was transformed in sadness and contentment into solitude. the close friend became a distant one, life became a wandering adventure Suddenly, no more than suddenly (De repente do riso fez-se o pranto Silencioso e branco como a bruma E das bocas unidas fez-se a espuma E das mãos espalmadas fez-se o espanto De repente da calma fez-se o vento Que dos olhos desfez a última chama E da paixão fez-se o pressentimento E do momento imóvel fez-se o drama De repente não mais que de repente Fez-se de triste o que se fez amante E de sozinho o que se fez contente Fez-se do amigo próximo, distante Fez-se da vida uma aventura errante De repente, não mais que de repente)

The Gust of Wind
Cecília Meireles: The Wind: I went to close the window, wind, why do you come here? I love my papers! I went to close the window and I regretted it. The wind danced in the air, not in the sky or in the garden, alone in it's freedom the wind danced in the air, endless and alone.Wind, I want to come with you, in my heart I said, and my heart took me. Farther than with you, wind, I'll fly. (fui fechar a janela ao vento - vento, porque vens aqui? Amo os papéis que leio. Fui fechar a janela ao vento e me arrependi. O vento dançava nos ares, nem no céu nem no jardim, só na sua liberdade, o vento dançava nos ares, isento e sem fim. -Vento, quero ir também contigo, em meu coração falei. E meu coração levou-me, mais longe do que contigo, vento, voarei

Harmony
Cecilia Meireles: "PYRARGYRITE METAL 9 (CHIAROSCURO CONTRIBUTION):"The piano tuner spoke to me, that tenderest / attender to each note / who looking over sharp and flat / hears and glimpses something more remote. / And his ears make no mistake / nor do his hands that in each chord awake / those sounds delighted to keep house together. // 'Disinterested is my interest: / I don't confuse music and instrument, mere / piano tuner that I am, / calligrapher of that superhuman speech / which lifts me as a guest to its high sphere. / Oh! what new Physics waits up there to teach / other matters to another ear . . .'

The Kiss

Night

The Crystal Ball

Viewer Comments

Login to write a comment

8/24/2006 9:49:19 AM abinsolitude Beautiful album...:)...
8/24/2006 12:57:17 PM lady viola Very good idea!Beautiful album!You make me appreciate brazilian poetry.I never read it but just few days ago I bought a collection of v.de morais's poems in a italian translation.Thank you!
8/24/2006 2:23:16 PM Lysia Thank you ab and lady viola, I'm glad to share them with all of you.
8/24/2006 10:37:55 PM chiaroscuro These are beautifully done. I love Cecília Meireles. Thanks, Lysia. C.
8/25/2006 6:01:42 AM Lysia Thank you Chiaroscuro, Cecilia Meireles was really a wonderful writer. http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cec%C3%ADlia_Meirelles
8/25/2006 5:43:25 PM chiaroscuro Another site -- http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/meireles.htm -- here's a favorite; it was translated from the Portuguese by James Merrill: "PYRARGYRITE METAL, 9" The piano tuner spoke to me, that tenderest / attender to each note / who looking over sharp and flat / hears and glimpses something more remote. / And his ears make no mistake / nor do his hands that in each chord awake / those sounds delighted to keep house together. // 'Disinterested is my interest: / I don't confuse music and instrument, mere / piano tuner that I am, / calligrapher of that superhuman speech / which lifts me as a guest to its high sphere. / Oh! what new Physics waits up there to teach / other matters to another ear . . .'
8/28/2006 10:01:39 AM Lysia So beautiful! thank you Chiaro
9/7/2006 3:43:39 PM RadiantMoon Now, it seems the birds wont sing till tomorrow at 7:00 am down in my tree..Beatifull poems.
9/7/2006 4:19:36 PM Lysia Well, I tried to add a new poem to my homeland today but is seems there is an error and I can't do it. I'll try another time.
9/7/2006 6:18:14 PM RadiantMoon The error cames cause you filled up the space accepted to fill up the album, Lysia,.The only solution is to start a new one.
9/7/2006 6:30:12 PM Lysia I see! thank you RM!
12/25/2007 1:40:08 PM Cathy Thank you for sharing this, Lysia. So beautiful!
12/26/2007 8:24:44 AM Lysia Thank you Cathy! glad you you like it!