"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...