translation: "Am I?"

my work translating a poem by a Guatemalan writer for his book

In the search

     for myself,

further away

from my own self

        I make a path

in lines persecuted

by ink

and pen,

aspiring to

               infinite light,

an infinite light,

      of the eternal presence.

 

 The firmament

    still does not clear the night

the night

       of my aurora;

 

Loneliness

wants to leave me alone,

without time,

         without a voice,

                  without space;

 

In the solitude

I,

transparent

         to my mind

that removes the coverings

          of my interior

wanting to be

                  just Me.

 

Outside,

an impetuous crowd,

cheered by sorrow

anticipating their burial,

The candles

        almost absent of light

melt slowly

predicting the end.

Within it all

and in nothing,

   still flowers

         a tenuous ray

originating from the summit,

arriving from the chasm

and, it is life

               flower,

song to the being

     that is blurry.

 

The mob,

           here,

does not matter,

how peaceful is the calm,

even though a little bit,

                  is everything.

 

The ray of light             

persists,

as if were the winner,

an uncalled-for declaration of clarity.

 

 

with mirrors

         in the space

of lost irises.

 

The light

           follows

my confusion,

at the end I stay

                       silent,

with the wings

         of my verb

in the station

of my voice,

         pulsing

with psychological

terms,

that in the end

do not have an end.

 

I return anew

with footsteps

         accelerated,

but I do not know

if it will end.

 

Here I wander

forgetting

             of myself.

so that eternity

forms my I

        and, she would be  

the final judge

          that in the end

determines

if I Am,

or simply...

                         Was.

 

Author's Note

author of this work is Oscar Arnoldo Soto. I am translating his 18th book into English for international distribution; we expect to have it ready for publication in November or December 2019. This poem is one of the works featured in his book, called "Free Poems." The author has been writing for 30 years, and is a professional videographer, writer, historian, and college professor. I am putting the original Spanish version in the comments section below; I will laso link the blog post with information about his book and its publication and availability when we have more information.

Reviews

[Leo]

very long yet I enjoyed the contrasts..well written

[Marie Anzalone]

here is the original work:

¿Soy?

En búsqueda
de mi ser,
más allá
del ser mismo,
hago camino
en líneas perseguidas
por tinta
y pluma,
ambicionando
luz infinita,
en infinita luz
de presencia eterna.
El firmamento
aún no despeja
la noche
de mi aurora;

La soledad
me quiere dejar sólo,
sin tiempo,
sin voz,
sin espacio;

En el sólo
Yo,
transparente
a mi mente
que se desnuda
en mi interior,
queriendo ser
sólo Yo.

Afuera,
tropel impetuoso,
ánimas en pena
presienten su entierro,
las velas
casi sin brillo
se derriten lentamente
pronosticando fin.
Entre todo
y nada,
aún aflora
un tenue rayo
que llega de la cima,
venido de la sima
y, es vida,
flor,
canto al ser
que se esfuma.

El tropel,
aquí,
no importa,
tan sólo la calma,
aunque poca,
es todo.

El rayo de luz
persiste,
como fiera vencedora,
clarinada de claridad


con espejos
en espacio
de iris perdidos.

La luz
sigue
mi confusión,
quedo al final
callado,
con las alas
de mi verbo
en la terminal
de mi voz,
pulsando
términos
parasicológicos,
que al final
no tienen final.

Vuelvo de nuevo
con pasos
acelerados,
para no sé,
si terminar.

Aquí deambulo
olvidándome
de mí,
para que la eternidad
haga mi Yo
y, sea ella
el jurado final
que al final
determine
si Soy,
o simplemente...
Fui.