‘And this word, this paper written’
And this word, this paper written
by the thousand hands of a single hand
does not rest in you, does not serve for dreams.
It falls to the earth: there it continues.
No matter that light or praise
were spilled and rose from the glass
if they were a tenacious tremor of wine,
if your mouth was dyed amaranthine.
It no longer needs the lagging syllable
that which the reef brings and withdraws
from my memories, the incensed spume,
It no longer needs a single thing but to write your name.
And even though my sombre love silences it
much later the spring will speak it.
.
Y esta palabra, este papel escrito
por las mil manos de una sola mano,
no queda en ti, no sirve para sueños.
Cae a la tierra: allí se continúa.
No importa que la luz o la alabanza
se derramen y salgan de la copa
si fueron un tenaz temblor del vino,
si se tiñó tu boca de amaranto.
No quiere más la sílaba tardía,
lo que trae y retrae el arrecife
de mis recuerdos, la irritada espuma.
No quiere más sino escribir tu nombre.
Y aunque lo calle mi sombrío amor
más tarde lo dirá la primavera.
.
Pablo Neruda, 1904–1973
© 1959 Pablo Neruda
Sonata XCVIII from Cien Sonetos de Amor
English translation by A.S. Kline
Photo by Michael Wave on Unsplash
