Laxmanrao Sardessai: "O Mistério Aclara-se" / "The Mystery Grows Clear"

As promised/threatened, here is the translation of another Portuguese-language poem. This one comes from the Goan author Laxmanrao Sardessai (1904-1986), who wrote short stories and essays in Marathi and Konkani, as well as poetry in Portuguese. More of his poems can be found at the Archive of Goan Writing in Portuguese.

My criteria for choosing Laxmanrao Sardessai over another poet were effectively nonexistent, almost random, and the next time I translate a Goan poem it may well be from another writer. This may be the first time this poem has appeared in English; if so, I hope I've done Sardessai's work justice. Any and all blame for poor translation should, as always, be apportioned solely to yours truly.

Obrigado, caro leitor.

---

"O Mistério Aclara-se"

O mistério aclara-se
E ai vejo definido o meu ideal,
No céu, no mar e na terra
Vejo a mesma mão,
Invisível e misteriosa,
Modelar o destino da humanidade.
No azul do oceano
No verde da terra
A mesma graça vejo
Estender-se na sua simplicidade
E o mistério aclara-se,
E aclara-se o meu espírito,
Confuso perante a difusão
De cores e linhas,
De formas e matéria
E suas infinitas intrincâncias.
Evapora-se a ilusão
E desponta no horizonte,
Vasto e claro,
O sol uno e brilhante,
A dirigir os meus passos
Para a divina realidade!

***

"The Mystery Grows Clear"

The mystery grows clear
And there I see defined my ideal,
In the sky, in the sea and in the earth
I see the same hand
Invisible and mysterious,
Shape humanity's destiny.
In the blue of the ocean
In the green of the earth
I see the same grace
Extend itself in its simplicity
And the mystery grows clear,
And my spirit grows clear,
Confused by the diffusion
Of colors and lines,
Of forms and matter
and their infinite intricacies.
The illusion evaporates
And emerges on the horizon,
Vast and clear,
The sun one and bright,
Directing my steps
Toward the divine reality!

"Olvido" de Camilo Pessanha

Here's another of Camilo Pessanha's poems. Once again, the title appears in one version of Clepsydra, while in another no title is used and the poem is referred to by its first line.

Some time ago I ran across the Archive of Goan Writing in Portuguese, much of which is poetry and, perhaps more unusual, much of which was written after 1961, when India reclaimed Goa from Portugal. I haven't combed through it in anything but a cursory manner yet, but I suspect I'll find something in there I want to translate. If/when I do, I'll post it here. I also intend on collecting all of my translations on my homepage, but I probably won't get around to that until next week.

In unrelated news, it's been over six weeks since I last smoked a cigarette. I do believe I've finally managed to quit.


 ***

Olvido

Desce por fim sobre o meu coração
O olvido. Irrevocável. Absoluto.
Envolve-o grave como véu de luto.
Podes, corpo, ir dormir no teu caixão.

A fronte já sem rugas, distendidas
As feições, na imortal serenidade,
Dorme enfim sem desejo e sem saudade
Das coisas não logradas ou perdidas.

O barro que em quimera modelaste
Quebrou-se-te nas mãos. Viça uma flor...
Pões-lhe o dedo, ei-la murcha sobre a haste...

Ias andar, sempre fugia o chão,
Até que desvairavas, do terror.
Corria-te um suor, de inquietação...

***

Oblivion

Descending at last over my heart
Oblivion. Irrevocable. Absolute.
Covering it as solemnly as a mourning veil.
You may, corpse, go sleep in your coffin.

The face now without wrinkles, features
distended in immortal serenity,
Sleeps at last without desire and without longing
For things unobtained or lost.

The clay in which you modeled a chimera
Shattered in your hands. If a flower grows...
Put your finger on it, and behold, it withers on the stem...

You went wandering, the ground always disappearing,
Until you went mad with terror.
You ran with the sweat of disquiet...