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

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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.