Sunday, December 22, 2013

Pablo Neruda, Religión en el Este....


    Allí en Rangoon comprendí que los dioses
    eran tan enemigos como Dios
    del pobre ser humano.
    Dioses
    de alabastro tendidos
    como ballenas blancas,
    dioses dorados como las espigas,
    dioses serpientes enroscados
    al crimen de nacer,
    budhas desnudos y elegantes
    sonriendo en el coktail
    de la vacía eternidad
    como Cristo en su cruz horrible,
    todos dispuestos a todo,
    a imponernos su cielo,
    todos con llagas o pistola
    para comprar piedad o quemarnos la sangre,
    dioses feroces del hombre
    para esconder la cobardía,
    y allí todo era así,
    toda la tierra olía a cielo,
    a mercadería celeste.

(Pablo Neruda)


Religion in the East

Over there in Rangoon it dawned on me
that gods and goddesses were enemies
of wretched humankind just as was God--

plastered godlings in alabaster
like white whales

godlings golden like spikes of wheat

snake gods coiled around the crime of being born

buddhas nude and elegant smiling into the highball
of empty eternity

like Christ on his despicable cross

all of them—every single one—to impose on us
their paradise

with afflictions or pistol

in order to buy piety or set our blood aflame.

The fierce godlings of mankind

hiding his cowardice....

And over there in Rangoon

it was all like that--

the whole earth stinking high to the sky

with the stench of heavenly merchandise.


[tr. E. A. Costa 22 December 2013]

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