Los ángeles colegiales
Ninguno comprendíamos el secreto nocturno de las pizarras
ni por qué la esfera armilar se exaltaba tan sola cuando la mirábamos.
Sólo sabíamos que una circunferencia puede no ser redonda
y que un eclipse de luna equivoca a las flores
y adelanta el reloj de los pájaros.
Ninguno comprendíamos nada :
ni por qué nuestros dedos eran de tinta china
y la tarde cerraba compases para al alba abrir libros.
Sólo sabíamos que una recta, si quiere, puede ser curva o quebrada
y que las estrellas errantes son niños que ignoran las aritmética.
The grade school angels
None of us understood the dark secret of the blackboards
nor why the armillary sphere seemed so remote when we looked at it.
We knew only that a circumference does not have to round
and that an eclipse of the moon confuses the flowers
and speeds up the timing of birds.
None of us understood anything:
not even why our fingers were made of India ink
and the afternoon closed compasses only to have the dawn open books.
We knew only that a straight line, if it likes, can be curved or broken
and that the wandering stars are children who don't know arithmetic.
Translated by Mark StrandEtiquetas: Rafael Alberti |
There is a "be" missing in the third line: "a circumference ....round."