Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Emily Dickinson: After Great Pain...(372)/Después de gran dolor...(372)


After great pain, a formal feeling comes – 
The Nerves sit ceremonious, like Tombs – 
The stiff Heart questions ‘was it He, that bore,’ 
And ‘Yesterday, or Centuries before’? 

The Feet, mechanical, go round – 
A Wooden* way – 
Of Ground, or Air, or Ought – 
Regardless grown, 
A Quartz contentment, like a stone – 

This is the Hour of Lead – 
Remembered, if outlived, 
As Freezing persons, recollect the Snow – 
First – Chill – then Stupor – then the letting go –

Emily Dickinson


Después de gran dolor (372)

Después de gran dolor
llega un sentimiento formal--
Los nervios permanecen rituales como tumbas--
El corazón se pregunta:
"¿Fue él que lo estaba sosteniendo?”
Y “¿Ayer o hace siglos?”

Los pies mecánicamente dan vueltas en círculos--
Un camino de madera y selvático--
De la tierra o del aire o de lo debido--
Crecido a pesar de todo.
Alegría de cuarzo como una piedra.

Esto es la hora del plomo,
Recordada si has sobrevivido a ella,
Como aquellos que se están congelando se acuerdan de la nieve:
Primero escalofrío, luego estupor, finalmente sumisión.

Tr. EAC
___________________________________________________________
*"Wooden", though limited to "made of wood" in many areas and usages
also means "having to do with woods", synonymous with the now archaic
"treen".  A "wooden walk", on the other hand, also has a figurative meaning
close to a  "mechanical"  one, somewhat like pies de madera in Spanish.. What
 follows shows Dickinson was using it in the first sense but obviously with
 considerable ambiguity, including a play on the less common usage 
and on "Boardwalk" as well, which stands almost as a pun within
a pun. Capitalization emphasizes the play.

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