Holidays with Slasher Dave

Only one holiday really matters to me, and that's Halloween. Thanksgiving ain't bad. Christmas is just okay. Christmas music, however, is pure trash, or at least it was before Slasher Dave, one of the masterminds behind the almighty Acid Witch, released A Very Lofi Christmas in 2020. Additional albums in the series came out in 2021 and 2022, and if Santa doesn't shit in our stockings, we might get another one this year. 

Slasher Dave has also put out a shitload of Halloween-related music, enough that I'm too lazy to post links to every album, all of which can be found on his Bandcamp page. Every year I sit on the porch and hand out candy to the endless stream of trick-or-treaters and blast Slasher Dave, and every year it rules.

So, given how much I dig this guy's stuff, suffice to say I was pretty stoked to wake up this morning to an email telling me that a new album, A Very Lofi Thanksgiving, had dropped. I've listened to it a few times today while cooking, enjoying the cool weather, and watching my neighbors nearly burn down their garage. I really like the album art, too.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, this wasn't the Thanksgiving I was expecting, but I've made the most of it. Thanks, Slasher Dave. I think it's time for the walk around the block.

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all.

DAS

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 48

Eis o poema final do livro!

I've enjoyed translating these poems, and I hope you've enjoyed reading them. I wish, more for the reader's sake than my own, that I'd been more inclined to do some research into Estima de Oliveira's life and work so as to provide more context for these poems, but I'll settle for making these poems available, not just in English but in Portuguese—I don't know if they've been reprinted since O Diálogo do Silêncio first came out in Macau in 1988.

As always, thanks for reading, caro leitor/a. Muito obrigado.

DAS

-----

48


a força vem do sul
em turbulência
meridiano em meridiano
antárctida do meu sonho

espero por ti
na mesopotâmia

espaço que criei

nas margens dos rios
dos meus desejos

    no centro
    do universo
    que me deste

    será o encontro

    das lágrimas
    vertidas
    em séculos
    de espera.


-----


48


the force comes from the south
turbulent
meridian by meridian
antarctica of my dreams

i wait for you
in mesopotamia

the space i created

on the riverbanks
of my desires

    in the center
    of the universe
    that you gave me

    will be the meeting

    of tears
    shed
    through centuries
    of waiting.

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 47

I don't know what to make of this one, y'all. I didn't put a ton of effort into it, to be honest. I'm way behind on this project, and I'm ready for it to be done.

47


envolvo-me
no átomo que sou
no átrio
do castelo

ajeito a manta
dos retalhos que colhi
de todas as luas
embalo-(me)
no sono da vigília
e recolho-(me)
nos martelos do piano
no derradeiro acorde
do concerto
sons da cachoeira
onde me esgoto.

dou sentido
agora
ao fogo que desperta
do tronco rubro
e
volto a reflectir-(me)
a envolver-(me)
na noite.


-----


47


i get caught up
in the atom i am
in the courtyard
of the castle

i adjust the patchwork
mantle i gathered
from all the moons
wrap (myself)
in waking sleep
and withdraw (myself)
into the piano's hammers
in the final chord
of the concert
sounds of the waterfall
where I run dry.

making sense
now
of the fire arising
from the crimson trunk
and
return to reflect on (myself)
getting (myself) caught up
in the night.

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 46

"Corais" can be read as "coral(s)" or "choirs," so it works much better in Portuguese than English, where you have to pick one or the other.

I think my next translation project for the blog will be something from 包公案 the cases of Judge Bao. I haven't flexed my classical Chinese muscles in a while, and this should be a fun (and probably frustrating) challenge. Até breve, leitores.

DAS

-----

46


vejo-me
de dentro
como se fosse espelho
reflectindo
o que resta
do caudal em que habito
na várzea
do pouco que conheço

e reflectindo (me)
vejo
o rosto que me ocupa
o interior das órbitas
nas iris soltas de mar

e vou criando
de grão a grão
de areia e poeira
o castelo dos sonhos
adiados

criando
querendo
vou de rocha em rocha
de concha em concha
na busca das vozes dos corais
que habitam
comigo
viajando nas artérias
novelos vermelhos
canções da carne
onde a lúcida certeza
ou a névoa da dúvida
se confirma


-----


46

i look at myself
from inside
as if i were a mirror
reflecting
what remains
of the stream I inhabit
on the floodplain
of what little I know

and in the (self) reflection
I see
the face I occupy
the interior of my eye sockets
into the sea's unmoored irises

and i'm creating
grain by grain
from sand and dust
the castle of deferred
dreams

creating
seeking
i go from rock to rock
shell to shell
in search of the voices of the corals
that live
with me
traveling the arteries
red skeins
songs of flesh
where lucid certainty
or the fog of doubt
is confirmed

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 45

This is by far the longest poem in this collection, and consequently it took me a while to translate it, even in the rough form below. There are three poems left to translate, and I hope to have them done by the end of the month and move on to something else.


45


um rectângulo
em termos geométricos
é um rectângulo

levantam-se as paredes
transforma-se
numa assoalhada
com ou sem tacos de madeira
azulejo ou alcatifa
ao cimo
paralelamente
no patamar da escada

lá é o limite
morada ou cóio
onde se instala
a dúvida
ou se projecta
a fuga

rebelde a solidão
mansa a madrugada
simulação
descer ou não descer
a escada
aí a opção
sair, descer
caminhar, caminhar
sem direcção
ao encontro de algo
provavelmente o nada

    e voltar

voltar sem ódio
à dita assoalhada
repousar os olhos
num recanto
num livro
na poesida da poeira
ou nas mãos
molhadas
pela chuva
ou suor
no tacto
intacto
da alma
em alvoroço

no toque
no cálice
na melodia
dos acordes
silenciosos
dos passos
desencontrados
que resvalam
nas frestas
das janelas
arestas de luz
onde é possível
reinventar
materializar
o cheiro
do fogo
na floresta

confortado em
calor da pedra lar
flui o sonho
marco polo talvez
sono, sono profundo
em viagem    sonho
na dita assoalhada

mas a viagem
onde a viagem
em que porto
em que mar
em que canoa
em que rectângulo
fechado        como
um beco
encontrarás
no tal paralelo
patamar
o eco
da tua voz.


-----


45


a rectangle
in geometric terms
is a rectangle

the walls rise
transform
into a room
with or without wooden floors
tile or carpet
at the top
parallel
with the staircase landing

there is a limit
home or hideaway
where doubt
settles in
or escape
projects itself

the solitude is rebellious
the dawn is still
simulation
descend or don't descend
the stairs
there's the option
leave, descend
walk, walk
aimlessly
to meet something
probably nothing

    and return

return without hate
to the so-called room
rest your eyes
in a corner
in a book
in the poetry of dust
or in hands
wet
with rain
or sweat
in the
intact
feel
of a soul
in uproar

in the bells
in the chalice
in the melody
of the muted
chords
in the missed
footsteps
that slip
through the cracks
of the windows
edges of light
where it is possible
to reinvent
materialize
the smell
of fire
in the forest

comforted in
the warmth of a stone hearth
dreams flowed
marco polo, perhaps
sleep, deep sleep
on a voyage    dreams
in the so-called room

but the voyage
where to
in which port
on which sea
in which boat
in which rectangle
closed off    like
an alleyway
you will find
on such a parallel
threshold
the eco
of your voice.

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 44

44


é assim
como virar o tempo
dobrando
em horas alternadas
manhãs e tardes

    assim
o desdobrar da noite
em franjas de estrelas
    pedaços de lua
é assim a distância
    a saudade.


-----


44


this is
how time turns
mornings and afternoons
folding
in alternating hours

    likewise
the night's unfolding
in tassels of stars
    bits of moonlight
the same with distance
    with longing.

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 43

43


consegue-se um pouco
de solidão
e ficamos aflitos
desejando
o voo dos pássaros

só depois
reflectimos
na construção
das asas.



43


we get a little bit
of solitude
and we get distressed
wanting
to fly like birds

only later
do we consider
building
wings.
 

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 42

42


abre-se uma porta
outra se fecha
o ciclo continua


...
esta a
essência do medo
impávida
ausente


-----


42


one door opens
another closes
the cycle continues


...
this is the
essence of fear
undaunted
absent

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 41

41


no rosto
da janela

    chove

embaciando
meus olhos
com seu hálito


-----


40


on the face
of the window

    it's raining

fogging up
my eyes
with its breath

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 40

This one was (and still is) very tricky to translate, and as usual with poems like these, I'm not very happy with how it came out. Two things tripped me up: the use of articles in the lines beginning with "a sombra", and those lines in general. The articles here can read as both possessive and directional, which works great in Portuguese but not really in English; and there's a sort of mirroring going on in those lines, where the middle two ("contrastes/da janela") act as the focal point for the two above and below. Maybe I'm misunderstanding that, but that's how I tried to render it. Finally, Estima de Oliveira is doing something by contrasting parts of a window, and I think I get it, but I'm currently incapable of explaining what exactly he's going for.

DAS

-----

 

40


mirante: janela exposta

no recorte
dos destroços
a flor
no vaso

...

janela
o pórtico
das estrelas

cortina

pano de boca
do proscénio
interior

a sombra
dos caixilhos
    contrastes
    da janela
as grades
    a penumbra.


-----


40


viewpoint: exposed window

framed against
the rubble
a flower
in a vase

...

a window
portico
of the stars

drapery

the stage curtain
of the inner
proscenium

the shadow
of the sash
    the window's
    contrasts
the grills
    twilight.
    

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 39

39


o sol
nasce dos teus olhos
nas manhãs
de agosto

como as primeiras flores
da primavera

lá colho o mel
que gosto


-----


39


the sun
rises from your eyes
on august
mornings

like the first flowers
of spring

there i gather the honey
that i like

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 38

38


não é fácil
ser-se simples

a simplicidade
é complexa

para os que sabem
os nomes dos pássaros
e das flores

e saboreiam
os frutos
ao amanhecer.


-----


38


it's not easy
to be simple

simplicity
is complicated

for those who know
the names of birds
and flowers

and savor
fruit
at dawn.

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 37

I translated "hoje a noite" as "tonight" despite the missing accent on "a." It'd have sounded really strange otherwise.

37


do compasso flui
o sonho

imagem
do vermelho

hoje a noite
é vazia

nem lua
sequer


-----


37


dreams
flow from the compass

image
of the red

tonight
is empty

not even
the moon

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 36

36


esvazio
o limite do tempo

    declive
    absoluto

da transcendência


-----


36


i empty
the threshold of time

    absolute
    decline

of transcendence

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 35

 35


vamos evitar
a alvorada
e prolongar
a noite
no silêncio


-----


35


let's avoid
the dawn
and prolong
the night
in silence

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 34

34


universo
emboscado

na selva
dos sentidos.


-----


34


the universe
ambushed

in the jungle
of the senses.

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 33

"Canto" can also mean "corner," but that didn't seem to work as well here, even though it mirrors the poem's spatial element. Decisions, decisions.

-----


33


anoto
no espaço do silêncio
o meu desejo

onde desfaço
o laço
do meu canto.


-----


33


i note
in the space of silence
my desire

where i undo
the bonds
of my singing.

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 32

32


o voo

elipses
    em crescente
é suave em planos

    o voo
    em círculos

    elipses
    sem espiral.


-----

32


flying

ascending
    ellipses
in smooth planes

    flying
    in circles

    ellipses
    without spirals.

"Finally summer and we’re coming alive again"

Summer's coming down on Houston like a slow hammer. Ignore the calendar, because that judging by the solstice shit means nothing here; you go by when the temperature starts regularly sitting over 80 and keeps climbing steadily week over week. So far it's been manageable, which means not suffocatingly humid from dawn past dusk. You can even, if you're in the right mindset and if it's the right time of day, enjoy being in the sun, and understand what Oceanator means when they sing, in what is the platonic ideal of a killer song, "But now the sun’s out/ We’re feeling better about/ What the days ahead bring". 

School's almost over, too. College kids wrapped up a while back, but HISD's last day is this coming week, which means my work schedule as an organizer with the teacher's union is fixing to shift to summer school mode. It's my first summer with the union staff, and I'm looking forward to it.

There's something rather perverse about enjoying (or at least appreciating) summertime in the face of global warming, but existence is nothing but a pile of contradictions, and summer ain't going away, so instead of feeling bad about shit, I'm gonna re-read Gravity's Rainbow (I first read it in 1999), wear shorts and nothing else around the house, drink cold green tea by the gallon, support Molly Cook for Texas Senate, practice 太極拳 taijiquan, listen to Psychic Hit, and drive around this insane city that the state of Texas absolutely despises, doing what I can to build worker power, which is the key to a future worth living in.

"I'm glad y'all came along." -Oceanator

DAS

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 31

31


inevitavelmente
é geográfico
o espaço

o espaço

    não a largura
    da semeadura

mas o limite
do vale

o outro espaço.


-----


31


inevitably
space
is geographic

space

    not how far
    seeds are sown

but the edge
of the valley

the other space.

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 30

30


as mãos
são asas

dimensionando
o tempo.


-----

30


hands
are wings

measuring
time.

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 29

"Vertente" and "encosta" both mean "slope" or "hillside." Hence the echo, which doesn't work as well in English, but o que podes fazer? I like how the typography reflects the content.

-----

29


resgato o silêncio
na vertente    encosta

eco da montanha.


-----


29


i rescue the silence
on the hill    side

the mountain's echo.

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 28

28


estas mãos
cheias de sementes
não ousam
tocar
o tempo
    das monções

espaço diluído
nas enxurradas.


-----


28


these hands
full of seeds
don't dare
to touch
the monsoon
    season

a span diluted
by floods.

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 27

How these images work together escapes me—mostly—but damn, the more I read this one, the more I like it.

 

27


cintilam os cristais
na montra do destino

no centro
o esquife

sereno

no rosto
o espelho
a paz

depois
o trabalho oficinal

o metal deslizante
une a madeira
completa-se o ciclo
das aparências

o sentido das palavras
esgota-se

a angústia
a regra do jogo

no limiar dos cílios
secam-se as lágrimas

a tarde azul
tem recados urgentes
nas pétalas das flores.


-----

27


the crystals glitter
in destiny's display case

in the middle
the casket

serene

his face
reflecting
peace

afterwards
laboring in the workshop

slippery metal
joins wood
the cycle of appearances
is complete

words run out
of meaning

anguish
the name of the game

tears dry
on the tips of eyelashes

the blue afternoon
sends urgent messages
on the petals of flowers.

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 26

26


à esquerda da cidade
nasceram flores silvestres
de cor amarela

não posso deixar
de citar a cor
para não se confundir
com as flores vermelhas
que nasceram
à direita da cidade

a cidade ficou com flores
de cada lado

só a entrada e saída
ficou deserta
é onde o povo passa
os senhores
habitam nos palácios da periferia
rodeados de flores

no alto da cidade
nos corredores
do palácio da justiça
também existem
algumas verduras

    cardos e espinheiras

no roseiral
do pátio interior
o supremo juiz ordenou

que se retirassem os espinhos
às roseiras

para oferecer
aos condenados à morte.

 

-----

26


on the left of the city
yellow
wildflowers grew

i can't help but
mention the color
so they aren't confused
with the red flowers
that grew
on the right of the city

there were flowers all over
the city

only the entrance and exit
were deserted
that's where the people suffer
the masters
live in palaces on the periphery
surrounded by flowers

in the upper city
in the halls
of the palace of justice
there also exists
some greenery

    thistles and brambles

in the rose gardens
of the inner courtyard
the supreme judge ordered

that the thorns be removed
from the rose bushes

in order to offer them
to those sentenced to death.

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 25

Another tricky one. It brings to mind the overlapping images of the trees along the (now gone) Praia Grande and the forest of masts along the Porto Interior.



25


passeio o corpo
no casual balanço
da ramagem

remeto
ao cerne
meus olhos
líquidos
de mastros
e navios

dessedentando
o núcleo
das raízes.


-----


25


my body wanders
under the casual swaying
of branches

i fix
my liquid eyes
on the heartwood
of masts
and ships

quenching the thirst
of the mass
of roots.

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 24

24


das mãos
fluem os sonhos
que a mente
não pode ter

pontos de seda
bordando
a ilusão
de viver.


-----


24


the dreams
that the mind
cannot keep
flow from the hands

silk stitches
embroidering
the illusion
of living.

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 23

I really like this one, since I practice 太極拳 taijiquan, or as Estima de Oliveira transliterates the Cantonese, "t'ai kêk." Older people practicing taiji in the park is a staple of urban life in Macau, Hong Kong, China, and Taiwan, and I enjoy watching it as much the poet does.

The 太極 taiji/t'ai kêk, or the "Supreme Ultimate," is a Chinese philosophical concept. It develops from 無極 wuji, or "no-limit," and gives rise to 陰陽 yin and yang. The Wikipedia page on taiji explains it decently enough.


DAS

-----

23


no andar
balbuciante
dos anos longos

os velhos

dobram-se
p'los joelhos

no gesto
largo
suave
como passe
de ballet

envolvem
o universo
no
t'ai kêk

cerram os olhos
impávidos
em longa concentração
coordenam os movimentos
lentos
em silêncio
de oração.

-----

23


with the halting
step
of long years

the old folks

bend
at the knees

in a
broad
smooth movement
like a ballet
passe

they embrace
the universe
in the
tai ji

their eyes close
unflinching
in long concentration
slow movements
coordinated
in the silence
of prayer.

20 Years.

If I hadn't been so busy today—with work, with cats, with cooking—I'd have written something more substantial than these few lines to commemorate the 20th anniversary of this blog. As it stands, those reflections will have to come later, if at all.

While The Corpse Speaks has never been particularly special, its continued existence after all these years is pretty remarkable. I don't know if I'm exactly proud of it—parts of it, perhaps; definitely not others—but I feel like it's not outlandish to give myself some credit for maintaining something for so long on an Internet that seems more ephemeral with every passing day.

Here's to another 20 years, preferably filled with more and better writing.

Your Humble Corpse,
DAS

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 22

This one's cryptic. Using articles would make it less choppy, but also diminish its mysteriousness. As it stands, the poem sounds like the words of a non-human intelligence, or force, trying to describe something it saw in the night.

DAS

-----

22


sorriso
amável
amargo
armado
de tristeza

longa distância
de sombra
(marionete)
fecha os
olhos
sobre a noite

esquece.


-----


22


smile
kind
bitter
armed
with sadness

far away
in the shadows
(puppet)
closes its
eyes
on the night

forgets.

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 21

Fantastic gambling imagery in this one, though the final stanza makes me stumble a bit. Adding some punctuation would help my translation, but I'll save that for a future revision.

DAS

-----


21


nos longos
dedos
crispados
perdem-se
as vozes
da sorte
...
no gesto
lanço de esperança
a ânsia
...
na anónima
voz seca
a negação
a roleta.


-----

21


the voices
of fortune
are lost
in long
curled
fingers
...
desire
in the act
of a hopeful toss
...
in the anonymous
dry voice
denial
roulette.

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 20

20


                                macau 22 horas


na noite amordaçada
cheia de luzes e nada
sobre montras de ilusão
fecham-se portas pesadas
onduladas
feitas de chapa de ferro

na rua estreita
cansada
abandonada de vida
soam passos de incerteza
pela ausente madrugada

nos olhos tristes
das casas
de sorrisos reduzidos
recortam-se silhuetas
nos postigos.


-----


20

                            macau 10 pm


in the muffled night
full of lights and nothingness
heavy corrugated gates
of sheet iron
close
over illusory storefronts

in the narrow street
tired
devoid of life
the sound of uncertain footsteps
through the absent dawn

in the sad eyes
of the houses
with diminished smiles
silhouettes stand out
through the peepholes.

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 19

I banged this one out really fast, and I'm fairly happy with it. I really like prose poetry, so this was a treat to read and translate.

The typesetting in the Portuguese original is weird; the line breaks aren't natural on the page, so I recreated it as it appears. I didn't bother doing that with the English version.



19


falava-se de mistérios na casa antiga entre sorrisos e
música gravada.
um jacto de luz iluminava a pequena palmeira confi-
dente das palavras.
o telefone negro gritava a sua presença ávido de notí-
cias.
no tecto, em girândola, as pás de ventoinha desenha-
vam círculos.
era madrugada.
uma certa disponibilidade soltava-se das mãos, ocu-
padas na lenta combustão dos cigarros. os copos re-
flectiam-se no lago da mesa articulando o interior dos
sons, rebuscando no tempo a intimidade dos sentidos.
nos rostos insinuavam-se conflitos controlados.

a viagem existe, o navio ancorado nas colunas da
mente espera o grito da largada.

no cais enorme soltam-se os passos do timoneiro.
tensas mantêm-se as amarras.


-----


19


there was talk of mysteries in the old house, among
smiles and recorded music.
a spray of light illuminated the little palm tree,
sure of its words.
the black telephone shouted its presence, eager
with news.
on the ceiling, pinwheeling, the fan blades
drew circles.
it was dawn.
a certain willingness leapt from our hands, busy
with the slow lighting of cigarettes. the cups
reflected in the lake of the tabletop articulated
the interior of sounds, digging through time for
the intimacy of feelings.
our faces suggested controlled conflicts.

the voyage exists, the ship anchored to the columns
of the mind, awaiting the call for departure.

the helmsman's footsteps are aimless on the huge pier.
the mooring lines remain taut.

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 18

Jesus, I'm not happy with how this translation turned out. It might not be so bad if I liked the original more; maybe I don't understand it, but I don't like the way it shifts gears. I also had a hard time deciding to go with "being" or "standing" for "estando," since English doesn't have a word that encapsulates both meanings like Portuguese does.

Fuck it. This'll have to do for now.

DAS

-----

18


por vezes acontece-me o silêncio
e nesse nada haver afasto-me de mim

então surpreendo-me no espanto
de não estar

não estando    vou indo
na tal berma
as margens do caminho

esvoaço
geralmente ao entardecer
na claridade da noite

caminho sempre

a primavera existe
no mais profundo inverno

há um frio interior
que se transforma
com o calor do sangue

(rosas vermelhas)


-----


18

at times silence befalls me
and in that nothingness    i have to run from myself

then i am amazed by the wonder
of non-being

not being    i'm off
along a certain edge
of the roadside

i drift along
usually at dusk
in the brightness of the night

always wandering

springtime exists
in the deepest winter

there is an inner cold
that becomes
with the warmth of blood

(red roses)

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 17

17


entre cisnes e gaivotas
interrogo-me sobre o diálogo

dos sons
ao silêncio do voo.


-----


17


between swans and seagulls
I wonder about the dialogue

of sounds
in the silence of flight.

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 16

16


andava como louco
na cidade
distribuindo as rosas
     que não via

olhava desvairado
as mãos vazias
dos desejos e sonhos
     que não tinha

batia a cada porta
que encontrava
em busca dum sorriso
ou da resposta
     que sabia

fechou-se na ilusão
do seu castelo
feito lodo
     da baía

escravo liberto
em sinal de protesto
consumiu seu tempo
     agrilhoado

na popa estreita
do seu barco
     ancorado

ali ficou
até ao pôr do sol
no balanço da brisa
     a soluçar

feito de sal
     e mar.


-----


16


like a madman you wandered
the city
handing out roses
     that you didn't see

you looked demented
hands empty
of the desires and dreams
     that you didn't have

you knocked at each door
that you found
in search of a smile
or the answer
     you knew

you locked yourself in the illusion
of your castle
made of silt
     from the bay

a freed slave
in a sign of protest
you spent your time
     in chains

at the narrow stern
of your anchored
     ship

there you stayed
until sundown
swaying in the breeze
     sobbing

made of salt
     and sea.

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 15

In this translation I used both meanings of "tempo" in order to more fully express the poem's nautical scope. I'm still not sure I got it right, though.

It only occurred to me today to look up Estima de Oliveira's Chinese name, which I found in the Antologia de Poetas de Macau /  澳門中葡詩歌選 from 1999. It's 柯添文, or o1 tim1 man4 in Cantonese.

Até próximo, car@ leitor/a.

DAS

-----


15

contemplo
o tempo

dos rios
a distância
do alto das montanhas

o longe
a linha do infinito

    o mar
    a vela
    o mastro
    o casco

é tempo de pensar

    marinheiro.


-----

15


i contemplate
the weather

the distance
from the rivers
from the mountaintops

far away
the infinite horizon

    sea
    sail
    mast
    hull

it's time to think

    sailor.

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 14

14


há sempre solto
um fio

nem sempre
uma amarra
amarra


-----


14

there's always a loose
thread

not always
a secured
mooring line

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 13

Another tricky one, mainly due to the difficulty of rendering Portuguese wordplay into English. I encountered this problem over and over when I translated Virgílio de Lemos' book of poems Para Fazer um Mar (which I should post here, since I doubt my translation will ever get published), and I couldn't solve it then, either. Part of it is due to my own lack of skill, but I think it's just very, very hard to do in the first place.

Take the first two lines, for example: "ar mar / armar" - the first is clear the latter broken in two, but it's also two distinct words on its own. I can't think of any English words for "air" and "sea" that can be combined to form a word meaning "raise" or "erect" or "build." Now imagine reading this poem in translation without the Portuguese original available. It wouldn't be totally incomprehensible, but you wouldn't think it was a good poem, either. With the Portuguese text included, you at least get the sense of what Oliveira is doing, even if you might not understand it.

There's other stuff going on, but I'll leave it here for now. I just wanted to point out some basic translation issues that are as old as the Tower of Babel.

DAS


-----

13

ar mar
armar
o cerco

arriba

ala ala
alar
a vela
ao vento

navegar
no tempo.


-----


13

air sea
raise
the net

pull in

heave heave
hoist
the sail
to the wind

sail
through time.

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 12

 This one's a little perplexing. The first stanza makes me think he's watching someone in a rowboat, or maybe on foot, picking through the dregs of low tide, but the second stanza really throws me off. I'm not happy with this translation, but it's all I've got at the moment.

 

-----


12

não sei como se chama
reconheço-lhe somente
a silhueta ao longe
cercando o rio
    na maré baixa
filtrando o lodo
na gandaia do peixe

joelho na prancha
pedala o mundo
em rotação do tempo.


-----


12

i don't know his name
i only recognize
his silhouette from afar
circling the river
    at low tide
picking through the mud
as the fish gallivant about

knee on the board
he rides through the world
as time spins on.

Alberto Estima de Oliveira — O Diálogo do Silêncio / The Dialogue of Silence 11

Feliz ano novo, y'all. 2022 was a tempestuous year for your humble Corpse, but not in an entirely bad way. Let's see what 2023 holds.

-----

11

submerso
o navio

vela bamba
ao sabor da corrente.


-----


11

sunken
ship

sail fluttering
in the current.