Spanish Poems

Lament for Ignacio Sánchez Mejías

1. The Goring and the Death

At five in the afternoon.
It was just five in the afternoon.
A boy brought the white sheet
at five in the afternoon.
A basket of lime made ready
at five in the afternoon.
The rest was death and only death
at five in the afternoon.

The wind blew the cotton wool away
at five in the afternoon.
And oxide scattered nickel and glass
at five in the afternoon.
Now the dove and the leopard fight
at five in the afternoon.
And a thigh with a desolate horn
at five in the afternoon.
The bass-pipe sound began
at five in the afternoon.
The bells of arsenic, the smoke
at five in the afternoon.
Silent crowds on corners
at five in the afternoon.
And only the bull with risen heart!
at five in the afternoon.
When the snow-sweat appeared
at five in the afternoon.
when the arena was splashed with iodine
at five in the afternoon.
death laid its eggs in the wound
at five in the afternoon.
At five in the afternoon.
At just five in the afternoon.

A coffin on wheels for his bed
at five in the afternoon.
Bones and flutes sound in his ear
at five in the afternoon.
Now the bull bellows on his brow
at five in the afternoon.
The room glows with agony
at five in the afternoon.
Now out of distance gangrene comes
at five in the afternoon.
Trumpets of lilies for the green groin
at five in the afternoon.
Wounds burning like suns
at five in the afternoon,
and the people smashing windows
at five in the afternoon.
At five in the afternoon.
Ay, what a fearful five in the afternoon!
It was five on every clock!
It was five of a dark afternoon!

Translated by A. S. Kline

LAMENT FOR IGNACIO SANCHEZ MEJÍAS

I
The goring and the death

In the afternoon at five.
It was afternoon, exactly at five.
A boy brought in the white sheet
in the afternoon at five.
A basket of lime was standing ready
in the afternoon at five.
The rest was death and only death
in the afternoon at five.

The wind carried off the balls of lint
in the afternoon at five.
And the chloride glittered nickel and crystal
in the afternoon at five.
Now the dove struggles and the leopard
in the afternoon at five.
And a gored thigh with the bull's horn
in the afternoon at five.
There began the sound of a bass string
in the afternoon at five.
The bells of arsenic and the smoke
in the afternoon at five.
In the corner groups of silence
in the afternoon at five.
And the bull stood alone with head held high
in the afternoon at five,

When the snowy sweat was starting
in the afternoon at five,
when the sand was covered with iodine
in the afternoon at five,
Death laid her eggs in the wound
in the afternoon at five.
In the afternoon at five.
In the afternoon exactly at five.

A coffin on wheels is the bed
in the afternoon at five.
Bones and flutes sound in his ears
in the afternoon at five.
The bull was bellowing in his face
in the afternoon at five.
The room was rainbowed with agony
in the afternoon at five.
Already gangrene comes from afar
in the afternoon at five.
A lily trumpet through his green loins
in the afternoon at five.
The wounds were burnng like suns
in the afternoon at five,
and the crowd broke the windows
in the afternoon at five.
In the afternoon at five.
How terrible this afternoon at five!
It was five o'clock by all the watches!
The afternoon was in shadow at five!

Translated by Brian Cole

LAMENT FOR IGNACIO SANCHEZ MEJÍAS

I
The Tossing and the Death

At five in the afternoon.
Exactly five in the afternoon.
A boy fetched the white sheet
at five in the afternoon.
A basket of lime made ready
at five in the afternoon.
The rest was death and death alone
at five in the afternoon.

The wind removed the cotton
at five in the afternoon.
The rust sowed glass and nickel
at five in the afternoon.
Now fight the leopard and the dove
at five in the afternoon.
A thigh with a forsaken horn
at five in the afternoon.
The sounds of the bourdon started
at five in the afternoon.
The bells of arsenic and smoke
at five in the afternoon.
Silent groups on corners
at five in the afternoon.
The bull alone was glad of heart
at five in the afternoon.

When sweat of snow was falling
at five in the afternoon,
when the ring was covered with iodine
at five in the afternoon,
then death laid eggs within the wound
at five in the afternoon.
At five in the afternoon
exactly five in the afternoon.

The bed is a wheeled coffin
at five in the afternoon.
Bones and flutes ring in his ears,
at five in the afternoon.
The bull roared through his forehead now
at five in the afternoon.
The room was luminous with pain
at five in the afternoon.
Far off, the gangrene coming
at five in the afternoon.
An iris horn through his green groins
at five in the afternoon.
Like suns the wounds were burning
at five in the afternoon,
the crowd was breaking windows
at five in the afternoon.
At five in the afternoon.

Ah, terrible five in the afternoon!
It was five by all the clocks!
The shadow of five in the afternoon.

Translated by Merryn Williams

LAMENT FOR IGNACIO SANCHEZ MEJÍAS

I
The wounding and death

Five in the afternoon. The stroke
of five in the afternoon.
A boy hauled white silk.
Five in the afternoon.
A basket of lime prepared.
Five in the afternoon.
Above all, death, only death.
Five in the afternoon.

The wind carried off the cotton.
Five in the afternoon.
Rust scattered the crystal and nickel.
Five in the afternoon.
The dove and the leopard struggle.
Five in the afternoon.
A thigh with a desolate horn.
Five in the afternoon.
The refrain of the bass began.
Five in the afternoon.
Bells of arsenic and soil.
Five in the afternoon.
Gangs of silence on street corners.
Five in the afternoon.
Only the bull's heart sang.
Five in the afternoon.

Icy sweat dropped.
Five in the afternoon.
The square was stained with iodine.
Five in the afternoon.
Death laid eggs in the wounds.
Five in the afternoon.
Five in the afternoon.
The stroke of five in the afternoon.

A wheeled coffin for his bed.
Five in the afternoon.
Bones and flutes ring in his ears.
Five in the afternoon.
The bull roared in his head.
Five in the afternoon.
The room shimmered in agony.
Five in the afternoon.
From the distance gangrene comes.
Five in the afternoon.
Lilies rise in green corners.
Five in the afternoon.
The wounds burned like suns.
Five in the afternoon.
The people shattered the windows.
Five in the afternoon.
Five in the afternoon.
So terrible, this five,
five in the afternoon
on every clock,
five,
in the shadow of the afternoon!

Translated by Mark Leech