T H E P O E T E S S C O U N T S T O 1 0 0 A N D B O W S O U T The Lockert Library of Poetry in Translation Editorial Advisor: Richard Howard for other titles in the lockert library see page 121 T H E P O E T E S S C O U N T S T O 1 0 0 A N D B O W S O U T SELECTED POEMS BY ANA ENRIQUETA TERÁN A BILINGUAL EDITION Translated by Marcel Smith princeton university press princeton and oxford · Copyright © 2003 by Ana Enriqueta Terán Translations ofpoems and preface copyright © 2003 by Princeton University Press Published by Princeton University Press, 41 William Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 In the United Kingdom: Princeton University Press, 3 Market Place, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1SY All Rights Reserved Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Terán, Ana Enriqueta. The poetess counts to 100 and bows out : selected poems : a bilingual edition / by Ana Enriqueta Terán; English versions by Marcel Smith. p. cm. — (The Lockert library ofpoetry in translation) ISBN 0-691-09671-6 (alk. paper) — ISBN 0-691-09672-4 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Terán, Ana Enriqueta—Translations into English. I. Smith, Marcel. II. Title. III. Series. PQ8549.T4 A27 2002 861(cid:2).64—dc21 2002016923 Sonnets numbered, 3, 5, 7, 18, 19, 23, 25, 29, 31, 35, 36, and 39 in the section entitled “Sonetos de todos mis tiempos” and the following poems appeared in Spanish in Casa de hablas, Monte Ávila Editores Latinoamerica, 1991: “A un caballo blanco”; “Música con pie de salmo”; “Saludable visión de este lado oscuro”; “Los sueños”; “Recados al hermano mayor”; “Las águilas”; “Piedra de habla”; “Compromiso con la alegría”; “Piedrecillas de adivinación; “El nombre”; “La poetisa cuenta hasta cien y se retira”; “Tercer intento de casa materna.” British Library Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available This book has been composed in Dante Typeface Printed on acid-free paper. ∞ www.pupress.princeton.edu Printed in the United States ofAmerica 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 The Lockert Library ofPoetry in Translation is supported by a bequest from Charles Lacy Lockert (1888–1974) these translations are dedicated to my wife Elizabeth without whom not Indice Translator’s Preface xi Acknowledgments xvii A Note about Sources xviii DECasa de hablas A un caballo blanco 2 El nombre 4 Piedra de habla 6 Compromiso con la alegría 8 Las águilas 10 Saludable visión de este lado oscuro 12 Los sueños 14 Tercer intento de casa materna 42 Recados al hermano mayor 44 Música con pie de salmo 52 Piedrecillas de adivinación 56 La poetisa cuenta hasta cien y se retira 58 DESonetos de todos mis tiempos Tanto de pan, tanto de aceite 62 Los extraños llamaron a la puerta 64 Reconoció la noche en el espejo 66 Hoja única, erguida muy despacio 68 vi Contents Translator’s Preface xi Acknowledgments xvii A Note about Sources xviii FROMHouse Made of Utterance To a White Horse 3 The Name 5 Wordstone 7 Deal Struck with Happiness 9 The Eagle 11 Fit Vision of This Dark Side 13 Dreams 15 Third Try at the Mother House 43 Messages for the Older Brother 45 Music with Psalm Foot 53 Pebbles for Scrying 57 The Poetess Counts to 100 and Bows Out 59 FROMSonnets out of All My Seasons So much bread, so much oil 63 The strangers rattled at the door 65 She took in night in the pier glass 67 One only leaf, adagioed up 69 vii Los moradores lanzan sus escritos 70 En tus catorce versos surgen finas 72 Una chenchena en el Suapure río 74 Es un charco de sombra y en la cara 76 Sabidurías de torzal incierto 78 Música para labios, torbellino 80 Las respuestas oscilan en un vano 82 Negro, amarillo, blanco como fino 84 DEAlbatros Albatros 88 Oficio áspero 90 Ascensos y aún distancias 92 Aves nunca vistas 94 Todavía no reposo 96 Voluntad de grito rasgado 98 DEAutobiografía en tercetos Río Momboy 102 El Motatán 106 Otros ríos 110 Invocación a la madre 114 viii Indice They who live there hurl their writings 71 Subtle in your fourteen lines surge 73 In the Suapure River 75 A puddle of shade, on its face 77 Wisdoms of uncertain silk cords 79 Music for lips, whirlwind the heart 81 The replies waver in a vain 83 Black, yellow, white as a subtle 85 FROMAlbatross Albatross 89 Splintery Responsibility 91 Ascents and Yet Distances 93 Never Seen Fowl 95 Not Resting Yet 97 Will of the Torn Scream 99 FROMAutobiography in Tercets Río Momboy 103 The Motatán 107 Other Rivers 111 Invocation to the Mother 115 Contents ix