Translated Poems

"I know you are reading this poem which is not in your language/guessing at some words while others keep you reading

Adrienne Rich's poems translated to Italian

Fragment of Adrienne Rich's An Atlas of the Difficult World (Dedications) in Italian - (Dediche) from Giuliano Donati

I know you are reading this poem
late, before leaving your office
of the one intense yellow lamp-spot and the darkening window
in the lassitude of a building faded to quiet
long after rush-hour. I know you are reading this poem
standing up in a bookstore far from the ocean
on a grey day of early spring, faint flakes driven
across the plains' enormous spaces around you.
I know you are reading this poem
in a room where too much has happened for you to bear
where the bedclothes lie in stagnant coils on the bed
and the open valise speaks of flight
but you cannot leave yet. I know you are reading this poem
as the underground train loses momentum and before running
up the stairs
toward a new kind of love
your life has never allowed.
I know you are reading this poem by the light
of the television screen where soundless images jerk and slide
while you wait for the newscast from the intifada.
I know you are reading this poem in a waiting-room
of eyes met and unmeeting, of identity with strangers.
I know you are reading this poem by fluorescent light
in the boredom and fatigue of the young who are counted out,
count themselves out, at too early an age. I know
you are reading this poem through your failing sight, the thick
lens enlarging these letters beyond all meaning yet you read on
because even the alphabet is precious.
I know you are reading this poem as you pace beside the stove
warming milk, a crying child on your shoulder, a book in your
hand
because life is short and you too are thirsty.
I know you are reading this poem which is not in your language
guessing at some words while others keep you reading
and I want to know which words they are.
I know you are reading this poem listening for something, torn
between bitterness and hope
turning back once again to the task you cannot refuse.
I know you are reading this poem because there is nothing else
left to read
there where you have landed, stripped as you are.

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Adrienne Rich's poems translated to Spanish

Adrienne Rich's Trees in Spanish - ARBOLES from Universidad de Chile

ÁRBOLES

Desde el interior, los árboles avanzan hacia el bosque,
el bosque que estuvo vacío todos aquellos días,
donde ningún pájaro podía posarse,
ningún insecto esconderse,
y ningún sol podía enterrar su pies en la sombra;
en el bosque vacío de esas noches,
los árboles abundarán por la mañana.

Las raíces se esfuerzan toda la noche
por desprenderse de las grietas
en el suelo de la terraza.
Las hojas se retuercen hacia los vidrios,
pequeños vástagos endurecidos por el esfuerzo
largas y torcidas ramas que se desprenden con dificultad
bajo el techo, como pacientes recién dados de alta,
medio-aturdidos, dirigiéndose
hacia las puertas de la clínica.
Aquí me acomodo. Las puertas se abren hacia la terraza,
escribo extensas cartas
donde apenas menciono el bosque
y su partida de la casa.
La noche está fresca, la luna entera brilla
en un cielo aún abierto.
El aroma de hojas y liquen
llega como una voz a las habitaciones.
Mi mente está plena de susurros
que permanecerán en silencio mañana.
Escucha. Los vidrios se quiebran,
se tambalean los árboles
Hacia la noche. El viento
se apresura a recibirlos.
Como un espejo la luna se ha quebrado
y en la copa del roble más alto
relampaguean ahora sus fragmentos.

Adrienne Rich's Planetarium in Spanish from Universidad de Chile

PLANETARIUM

Inspirado en Caroline Herschel (1750-1848),
astrónoma, hermana de William –y en otras...

Una mujer con forma de monstruo
un monstruo con forma de mujer
abundan en los cielos
una mujer "en la nieve
entre los Relojes e instrumentos
o midiendo el suelo con pértigas"
capaz de descubrir ...............a sus 98 años
8 cometas
aquella sobre quien la luna gobernó
como en nosotras
levita hacia el nocturno cielo
surca distancias en los lentes pulidos
Galaxias de mujeres, cumpliendo ahí
penitencia por impulsivas
congelados nervios
en aquellos espacios ...................de la mente
Un ojo

"viril, exacto y absolutamente seguro"

desde las confusas telarañas de Uranusborg

........................................................................encuentra la NOVA
cada impulso de luz estalla
desde el centro
como se descarga nuestra vida

Tycho susurra al fin

"Que no parezca que he vivido en vano"


Lo que vemos, lo vemos
y ver es cambiar
la luz que marchita una montaña
y le permite a un hombre vivir
Los latidos del pulsar
el corazón exudando por mi cuerpo
El impulso de radio
que fluye desde Taurus

Estoy bombardeada aun así ..............me yergo

me he mantenido de pie toda la vida en medio del
curso directo de una batería de señales
el más fielmente transmitido el más
intraducible lenguaje en el universo
soy una nube galáctea tan profunda ...........tan intrin-
cada que una onda de luz demoraría 15
años viajando por mí .............Y ha ocurrido
así soy un instrumento con forma
de mujer intentando traducir pulsaciones
a imágenes para aliviar el cuerpo
y reconstruir la mente.

1968

III Try sitting at a typewriter one calm summer evening at a table by a window in the country, try pretending your time does not exist that you are simply you that the imagination simply strays like a great moth, unintentional try telling yourself you are not accountable to the life of your tribe the breath of your planet	III Prova a sederti alla tua macchina da scrivere una sera tranquilla d'estate scrivania davanti alla finestra in campagna, prova a far finta che non esista il tuo tempo di essere solo te stesso che la tua immaginazione stia vagando come una grande falena prova a dirti che non devi rispondere alla tua tribù al tuo pianeta
V Suppose you want to write of a woman braiding another woman's hair straight down, or with beads and shells in three-strand know the thickness the lenght the pattern why she decides to braid her hair how it is done to her what country it happens in what else happens in that country You have to know these things	V Immagina di voler scrivere di una donna che stia intrecciando i capelli di un'altra donna semplicemente, o con perle e conchiglie in tre bande o in treccine sottili dovrai conoscerne la lunghezza lo spessore, perché se li intreccia come le viene fatto e in che foggia in che Paese accade e che altro vi accade sono cose che devi sapere

Translated poems

Adrienne Rich's poems translated to Italian

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Adrienne Rich's poems translated to Spanish

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Adrienne Rich's poems translated to Portuguese

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