Federico García Lorca: Casida de la mujer tendida/ Casida Of Woman Lying (English translation)

Verte desnuda es recordar la Tierra.
La Tierra lisa, limpia de caballos.
La Tierra sin un junco, forma pura
cerrada al porvenir: confín de plata.

Verte desnuda es comprender el ansia
de la lluvia que busca débil talle
o la fiebre del mar de inmenso rostro
sin encontrar la luz de su mejilla.

La sangre sonará por las alcobas
y vendrá con espada fulgurante,
pero tú no sabrás dónde se ocultan
el corazón de sapo o la violeta.

Tu vientre es una lucha de raíces,
tus labios son un alba sin contorno,
bajo las rosas tibias de la cama
los muertos gimen esperando turno.

Federico García Lorca

Casida of Woman Lying

To see you stripped bare is to recall earth--

smooth, clean running ground of horses, rushless,

pure form closed to any future: a horizon of silver.

To see you stripped bare is to grasp the anxiousness

of rain in search of frail waist, or the fever of sea

immense-faced and with cheeks unrosed.

Blood will sound throughout the bedrooms

and a shining sword will come, but you will not

know where's hidden toad's heart or the violet.

Your belly is a war of roots. Your lips sunrise

without contour—below the tepid rosebed dead

and buried men moan waiting their turn.

(tr. EAC)

E. A.Costa 1 February, 2016 Granada, Nicaragua

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N.B. The Casida is a Spanish verse form loosely adapted

from the Arab Quasida.