El Poema Negro

The Black Poem

El Poema Negro

When I was dying he hugged meCuando moría me abrazo
And with a broken and pitiful voiceY con voz quebrada y lastimera
He told me that in memory of this loveMe dijo que en recuerdo de este amor
He left me his white skullMe dejaba su blanca calavera

That he stole her from his own graveQue la robara de su propia tumba
And that in my happy hours or in my mourningY que en mis horas alegres o de duelo
His spirit would come from heavenSu espíritu vendría desde el cielo
And through her I would see myselfY a través de ella me vería

And time passedY el tiempo pasó
I feel your voiceSiento su voz
Claiming meReclamándome
Keep your promise!¡Cumple tu promesa!

The night has finally arrivedAl fin llego la noche
Full of darkness and windLlena de oscuridad y viento
Beating the rain and thunderBatiéndose la lluvia y los truenos
The sea roared in the distanceEl mar rugía a lo lejos

Heart burning and gripped by terrorArdiente el corazón y presa de terror
Climb the wall of the deadEscale la muralla de los muertos
I immediately felt his presenceSentí de inmediato su presencia
In that old cemeteryEn aquel viejo cementerio

Nothing will changeNada cambiara
You will always be thereSiempre estarás allí
Looking at meMirándome
Although your eyes alreadyAunque tus ojos ya
They can't see me!¡... No me puedan ver!

Through the dark streetsPor las calles sombrías
From the desert cemeteryDel desierto camposanto
I arrived at my destination like thisLlegue así a mi destino
Surrounded by crowns and saintsRodeado de coronas y de santos

A lamp gave me the shineUna lámpara me dio el brillo
I broke its marble with a hammerRompí su mármol con un martillo
A pestilential gustUna ráfaga pestilente
A strong smell of death!¡... Un fuerte olor a muerte!

At the bottom of the boxAl fondo de la caja
Between bandages and gagsEntre vendajes y mordajas
Boiling waves of wormsOlas hirvientes de gusanos
They swallow it slowlySe la tragan lentamente

From her bright eyesDe sus brillantes ojos
There are two big gaps leftQuedan dos grandes huecos
And from that mouth that was so passionateY de esa boca que era tan apasionada
A silent and terrible laughUna muda y terrible carcajada

This loveEste amor
It's my painEs mi dolor
MadnessLa locura
Against reasonContra la razón

Of her beauty that radiated like a starDe su belleza que radió cual astro
There was not even a trace thereNo había allí tan siquiera un rastro
It was a shapeless and corrupt ragEra un informe y corrompido andrajo
I looked at her sadly, mute, inertLa mire contristado, mudo, inerte
I meditated on the feasts of deathMedité en los festines de la muerte
And I sank into the grave opened by a slashY me hundí en el sepulcro abierto a tajo

My hands stretched out tremblinglyTemblorosas tendiéronse mis manos
To the immense hive of wormsAl inmenso hervidero de gusanos
I searched for the joints of the throatBusqué de la garganta las junturas
I twisted nervously, there were cracksNervioso retorcí, hubo traquidos
Of torn and broken bonesDe huesos arrancados y partidos
Until I treaded on the gravesHasta que hollando vi las sepulturas

I fled fearfully among the cruel shadowsHuí miedoso entre las sombras crueles
Believing that the dead in drovesCreyendo que los muertos en tropeles
They raised their emaciated formLevantaban su forma descarnada
Running to rescue his skullCorriendo a rescatar su calavera
That stiff and silent companionEsa yerta y silente compañera
From the gloomy night of nothingnessDe la lóbrega noche de la nada

That happened... It was yesterday... Today, at my tableEso pasó... Fue ayer... Hoy, en mi mesa
What final rubble of her beautyCual escombro final de su belleza
Frozen, mute, livid and inertHelada, muda, lívida e inerte
On my books in a pile restsSobre mis libros en montón reposa
Like a gigantic white roseCual una gigantesca y blanca rosa
Who flaunts the laughter of death!¡Que ostenta la risa de la muerte!

Its large basins like two cavernsSus grandes cuencas como dos cavernas
They look at me motionless and eternalMe miran inmóviles y eternas
And dreaming I see her transformY soñando la veo transformarse
In what was and begins to approachEn lo que era y comienza acercarse

I feel hers, I feel her mineMe siento suyo, la siento mía
But soon my pupils wake me upPero pronto mis pupilas me despiertan
To show me the image of deathPara mostrarme la imagen de la muerte
That static and gloomy contemplates meQue estática y sombría me contempla

When I dieCuando yo me muera
Cute skullLinda calavera
You will accompany meMe acompañarás
Until eternityHasta la eternidad