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June 28, 2007

Lazy Summer Days

You remember those days when you were in school and it was blazing hot outside? The kids didn't want to learn, and the teacher didn't want to teach. On days like these, the teacher would often talk about something that had nothing to do with the assigned subject, but something a little more personal. Today, and much of this week, is one of those days in the blogspere. I have nothing to say, and nothing to teach, so today, you'll be introduced to Pablo Neruda.

It saddens me that I heard about Mr. Neruda from the movie In The Cut. In this movie, Meg Ryan plays a teacher. She's involved with this cop who is investigating the death of her sister. The cop comes into her apartment, glances at writings on the walls and sees this:

"I want to do to you what Spring does to the cherry trees"

In that moment, after the words hit my Wernicke's area I was in love.
Not to knock the movie script folk, but there was no way anyone but a poet wrote that. My quest was on. A few google links later, I was introduced to Mr. Neruda. The name of the poem is "everyday you play", and here it is en Englis y Español.







Everyday You Play
by Pablo Neruda

Every day you play with the light of the universe.
Subtle visitor, you arrive in the flower and the water.
You are more than this white head that I hold tightly
as a cluster of fruit, every day, between my hands.

You are like nobody since I love you.
Let me spread you out among the yellow garlands.
Who wries your name in letters of smoke among the stars of the south?
Oh let me remember you as you were before you existed.

Suddenly the wind howls and bangs at my shut window.
The sky is a net crammed with shadowy fish.
Here all the winds let go sooner or later, all of them.
The rain takes off her clothes.

The birds go by, fleeing.
The wind. The wind.
I can contend only against the power of men.
The storm whirls dark leaves
and turns loose all the boats that were moored last night to the sky.

You are here. Oh, you do not run away.
You will answer me to the last cry.
Cling to me as though you were frightened.
Even so, at one time a strange shadow ran through your eyes.

Now, now too, little one, you bring me honeysuckle,
and even your breasts smell of it.
While the sad wind goes slaughtering butterflies
I love you, and my happiness bites the plum of your mouth.

How you must have suffered getting accustomed to me,
my savage, solitary soul, my name that sends them all running.
So many times we have seen the morning star burn, kissing our eyes,
and over our heads the grey light unwind in turning fans.

My words rained over you, stroking you.
A long time I have loved the sunned mother-of-pearl of your body.
I go so far as to thing that you own the universe.
I will bring you happy flowers from the mountains, bluebells,
dark hazels, and rustic baskets of kisses.
I want
to do with you what the spring does with the cherry trees


Juegas todos los días con la luz del universo.
Sutil visitadora, llegas en la flor y en el agua.
Eres más que esta blanca cabecita que aprieto
como un racimo entre mis manos cada día.

A nadie te pareces desde que yo te amo.
Déjame tenderte entre guirnaldas amarillas.
Quién escribe tu nombre con letras de humo entre las estrellas del sur?
Ah déjame recordarte cómo eras entonces, cuando aún no existías.

De pronto el viento aúlla y golpea mi ventana cerrada.
El cielo es una red cuajada de peces sombríos.
Aquí vienen a dar todos los vientos, todos.
Se desviste la lluvia.

Pasan huyendo los pájaros.
El viento. El viento.
Yo sólo puedo luchar contra la fuerza de los hombres.
El temporal arremolina hojas oscuras
y suelta todas las barcas que anoche amarraron al cielo.

Tú estás aquí. Ah tú no huyes.
Tú me responderás hasta el último grito.
Ovíllate a mi lado como si tuvieras miedo.
Sin embargo alguna vez corrió una sombra extraña por tus ojos.

Ahora, ahora también, pequeña, me traes madreselvas,
y tienes hasta los senos perfumados.
Mientras el viento triste galopa matando mariposas
yo te amo, y mi alegría muerde tu boca de ciruela.

Cuanto te habrá dolido acostumbrarte a mí,
a mi alma sola y salvaje, a mi nombre que todos ahuyentan.
Hemos visto arder tantas veces el lucero besándonos los ojos
y sobre nuestras cabezas destorcerse los crepúsculos en abanicos girantes.

Mis palabras llovieron sobre ti acariciándote.
Amé desde hace tiempo tu cuerpo de nácar soleado.
Hasta te creo dueña del universo.
Te traeré de las montañas flores alegres, copihues,
avellanas oscuras, y cestas silvestres de besos.

Quiero hacer contigo
lo que la primavera hace con los cerezos.

Posted by lysa at June 28, 2007 9:34 AM

Comments

Ah Neruda. So easy to read, so unbelievably utterly hopeless, no way, oh no i didn't impossible to emulate. Its a bit surprising that more people dont know about him. Him and almond cookie ice cream.

Posted by: booboo at June 28, 2007 10:21 PM

princess: that's hot. not as hot as your usage of Wernicke's area, but still hot in a less cerebral way. ;-)

booboo: mmmmmm

Posted by: scottie at June 29, 2007 8:45 AM

It's a good thing that I happen to have picked up some cherries yesterday and have them in the house now or else I would have had to go out and get some. As in, get them right this second.

Now what's this about almond cookie ice cream?

Posted by: kbee at June 30, 2007 1:53 AM

If any of you are interested, whomever comes to visit our blog mistress here, ill do my best to arrange to have some almond cookie ice cream ready for you.

Posted by: booboo at July 2, 2007 11:27 AM

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