[el agua]

by Julia Ferrer

el agua

            rueda

                     resbala

                                           cae

 

tan sabiamente

hace y deshace sus surcos

 

tiene pies esmaltados

multicolores

danzarines

con cascabeles que van repicando

 

y nunca retroceden

 

a veces muere

pero renace al instante

y canta

canta

y sigue danzando

muriendo

cantando

 

                                                                        semeja

                                                                        el agua

                                                                        mujer transparente

                                                                        de orejas de cierva

                                                                        de grupas de nácar

 

                                                                        que huye y se entrega

                                                                        volviendo en la huida

                                                                        huyendo en la entrega

                                                                        su sangre nos baña

                                                                        nos nubla los ojos

                                                                        nos hunde

 

                                                                        nos pierde

 

                                                                        sus senos de escarcha

                                                                        refrescan mis sienes

 

                                                                        y voy tras de ella

                                                                        en ella

 

                                                                        me llama

                                                                        me arrastra

                                                                        me lleva

 

                                                                        sus crines de plata

                                                                        su boca de vidrio

                                                                        sus grupas de nácar

                                                                        me envuelvan

                                                                        me ciegan

 

                                                                        y ella

                                                                        va

                                                                        cantando

                                                                        riendo

                                                                        llorando

                                                                        muriendo

                                                                        danzando

 

mujer transparente

de patas de garza

de orejas de cierva

de senos de escarcha

[the water]

by Julia Ferrer

the water

             rolls

                         slips

                              falls

 

so wisely

makes and unmakes its furrows

 

has enameled feet

multicolored

dancerly

with bells that ring out

 

at times dies

but is reborn right away

and sings

sings

and goes on dancing

dying

singing

 

                                                                        the water

                                                                        resembles

                                                                        transparent woman

                                                                        with doe ears

                                                                        with mother-of-

pearl haunches

 

                                                                        who flees and surrenders

                                                                        returning in flight

                                                                        fleeing in surrender

                                                                        her blood bathes us

                                                                        her eyes cloud us

                                                                        sink us

 

                                                                        lose us

 

                                                                        her breasts of frost

                                                                        refresh my temples

 

                                                                        and i go behind her

                                                                        in her

 

                                                                        she calls me

                                                                        she drags me

                                                                        she carries me

 

                                                                        her mane of silver

                                                                        her mouth of glass

                                                                        her mother-of-pearl haunches

                                                                        envelope me

                                                                        blind me

 

                                                                        and she

                                                                        goes on

                                                                        singing

                                                                        laughing

                                                                        crying

                                                                        dying

                                                                        dancing

 

transparent woman

with heron legs

with doe ears

with breasts of frost

translated from Spanish by Brandon Holmquest
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