Poem read for Max on 26 February 2009

We had a gathering of friends and families at our house on the anniversary of Max's death. I read a poem, and I have been asked to put it on the blog.

Rachel had asked us to read this poem. This year she was in New York for the anniversary, continuing with her studies, but she was keen for us to read the poem. It is one she knew Max had liked, from an anthology called Poets of the Nicaraguan Revolution. It contains poems in Spanish with English translations.

I used Max's well-thumbed copy of the book, in which the poem has been annotated by him (and in pen - I used tell him off for that), and I read the English translation.

So here it is - Spanish first, then the English translation.

Seamus


ERNESTO CARDENAL

EN LA TUMBA DEL GUERRILLERO

Pienso en tu cuerpo que se ha ido desbaratando
bajo la tierra
haciéndose suave tierra, humus otra vez
junto con el humus de todos los demás humanos
que han existido y existirán en la bolita mundo
haciéndonos todos juncos tierra fértil del planeta Tierra.
Y cuando los cosmonautas miren esta bola azul y rosa
en la noche negra
lo que estarán mirando, lejos, es tu luminosa tumba
(tu tumba y la de todos)
y cuando los extraterrestres desde alguna parte
miren este punto de luz de la Tierra
estarán mirando tu tumba.
Y un día será todo tumba, silenciosa tumba,
y ya no habrá más seres vivos en el planeta
compañero.
¿Y después?
Después nos desbarataremos más, volaremos,
átomos en el cosmos.
Y tal vez la materia es eterna hermano
sin principio ni fin o tiene un fin
y recomienza cada vez.
Tu amor sí tuvo un comienzo pero no tiene final.
Y tus átomos que estuvieron en el suelo de Nicaragua,
tus átomos amorosos, que dieron la vida por amor,
ya verás, serán luz,
me imagino tus partículas en la vastedad cosmos
como pancartas, como afiches vivos.
No sé si me explico.
Lo que sé es que nunca se olvidará tu nombre
y para siempre se gritará: ¡Presente!


THE GUERRILLA'S TOMB

I think of your body that has been rotting
underground
becoming good earth, humus again
together with the humus of all the other humans
who have existed and will exist in the ball of the earth
all becoming fertile earth of the planet Earth.
And when the cosmonauts look at this blue and pink ball
in the black night
what they will be seeing, far off, is your luminous tomb
(your tomb and everybody's)
and when extraterrestrials from somewhere
see this point of light that is Earth
they will be looking at your tomb.
And one day it will be all tomb, a silent tomb
and there will no longer be living beings on the planet
comrade.
And then?
When we have disintegrated further, we shall fly,
as atoms in the cosmos.
And perhaps matter is eternal brother
without beginning or end or it ends
and keeps beginning again.
Yes, your love did have a beginning but it has no end.
And your atoms which were in the soil of Nicaragua,
your loving atoms, that gave their life for love,
you'll see, they will be light.
I imagine your particles in the vastness of the cosmos
like placards, like living posters.
I don't know if I am explaining myself.
What I do know is that your name
will never be forgotten
and for evermore you will be acclaimed: Presente!

From Poets of the Nicaraguan Revolution
Translated by Dinah Livingstone
Katabasis, 1993