Nicanor Parra -Un hombre-

Un hombre

La madre de un hombre está gravemente enferma
Parte en busca del médico
Llora
En la calle ve a su mujer acompañada de otro hombre
Van tomados de la mano
Los sigue a corta distancia
De árbol en árbol
Llora
Ahora se encuentra con un amigo de juventud
¡Años que no nos veíamos!
Pasan a un bar
Conversan, ríen
El hombre sale a orinar al patio
Ve una muchacha joven
Es de noche
Ella lava los platos
El hombre se acerca a la joven
La toma de la cintura
Bailan vals
Juntos salen a la calle
Ríen
Hay un accidente
La muchacha ha perdido el conocimiento
El hombre va a llamar por teléfono
Llora
Llega a una casa con luces
Pide teléfono
Alguien lo reconoce
Quédate a comer, hombre
No
Dónde está el teléfono
Come, hombre, come
Después te vas
Se sienta a comer
Bebe como un condenado
Ríe
Lo hacen recitar
Recita
Se queda dormido debajo de un escritorio.


A man

A man's mother is very sick
He goes out to find a doctor
He's crying
In the street he sees his wife in the company of another man
They're holding hands
He follows a few steps behind them
From tree to tree
He's crying
Now he meets a friend from his youth
It's years since we've seen each other!
They go on to a bar
They talk, laugh
The man goes out to the patio for a piss
He sees a young girl
It's night
She's washing dishes
The man goes over to her
He takes her by the waist
They waltz
They go out into the street together
They laugh
There's an accident
The girl's lost consciousness
The man goes to telephone
He's crying
He comes to a house with lights on
He asks for a telephone
Somebody knows him
Hey stay and have something to eat
No
Where's the telephone
Have something to eat, hey eat something
Then go
He sits down to eat
He drinks like a condemned man
He laughs
They get him to recite something
He recites it
He ends up sleeping under a desk

Translated by W.S. Merwin