Nicanor Parra -La poesía terminó conmigo-

La poesía terminó conmigo

Yo no digo que ponga fin a nada
No me hago ilusiones al respecto
Yo quería seguir poetizando
Pero se terminó la inspiración.
La poesía se ha portado bien
Yo me he portado horriblemente mal.

Qué gano con decir
Yo me he portado bien
La poesía se ha portado mal
Cuando saben que yo soy el culpable.
¡Está bien que me pase por imbécil!

La poesía se ha portado bien
Yo me he portado horriblemente mal
La poesía terminó conmigo.


Poetry ends with me

I'm not putting an end to anything
I don't have any illusions about that
I wanted to keep on writing poems
But the inspiration stopped.
Poetry has acquitted itself well
I have conducted myself horribly.

What do I gain by saying
I have acquitted myself well
And poetry has conducted itself badly
When everybody knows I'm to blame?
This is what an imbecile deserves!

Poetry has acquitted itself well
I have conducted myself horribly
Poetry ends with me.

Translated by Miller Williams