No words. My lips and heart feel dumb. One of my favorite poets died last weekend. I have translated some of his poems to English and posted on this blog. Ferreira Gullar died in Rio de Janeiro at 86 years old. Native to the state of Maranhão, in Northern part of Brazil, he has witten since a very young age.
He was one of the pioneers of the Neo Concrete movement and his poetry usually presented, with high sensibility and sensitivity, the social issues of his home country. During Brazil´s Military Regime, he exhiled for denouncing the country´s problems, such as hunger, poverty and lack of freedom. I will post a very famous poem, through which I knew him, and discusses freedom as well as other social issues.
Dois e dois: quatro
Ferreira Gullar
Como
dois e dois são quatro
sei que a vida vale a pena
embora o pão seja caro
e a liberdade pequena
sei que a vida vale a pena
embora o pão seja caro
e a liberdade pequena
Como
teus olhos são claros
e a tua pele, morena
e a tua pele, morena
como um tempo de alegria
por trás do terror me acena
e a noite carrega o dia
no seu colo de açucena
e a noite carrega o dia
no seu colo de açucena
–
sei que dois e dois são quatro
sei que a vida vale a pena
sei que a vida vale a pena
mesmo
que o pão seja caro
e a liberdade, pequena.
e a liberdade, pequena.
Two and two: four
Portuguese Translation by Rita Cammarota
Like two and two make four
I know life is worth living
Though bread we can’t afford
And the freedom is teeny
Like that blue eyes of yours
And your skin´s dark and silky
Like the ocean´s fierce roar
As the lake sleeps so dearly
Like a time of great joy
Behind the horror fury
And the night holds the day
In its lap made of lilies
- I know two and two make four
I know that life´s worth living
Though bread we cannot afford
And the freedom is teeny
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