Spanish Poems

THE DARK SWALLOWS AGAIN

The dark swallows again
on your balcony will hang their nests,
and playing knock once more
against your window glass.
But those that stayed their flight
to ponder your beauty and my joy,
those that have learnt our names,
those, they will not return.
The dense honeysuckle again
will climb your garden walls
and later again their flowers
will open lovelier still.
But those laden with dew
whose drops we watched tremble
and fall like tears of the day,
those, they will not return.
The burning words of love
will sound again in your ears;
perhaps your heart will awake
and stir from its deep sleep.
But mute, absorbed, kneeling,
as one adores God at his altar,
as I have given my love ...
believe me,
no one will love you so.

Translated by Michael Smith

THE BLACK SWALLOWS WILL RETURN

The black swallows will return
to hang their nests on your balcony,
and once again will knock in play
against your window panes;

but those that stopped their flight and perched
to observe your beauty and my good luck,
those who learned to know our names...
those... will not return!

The honeysuckle will return,
to climb the walls in your garden,
and open once again at evening
their even more beautiful flowers,

but those blooms that were full of dew
where we saw the trembling drops
fall like tears of the day ...
those... will not return!

Ardent words of love will return
to sound and resound in your ears;
and your heart from the depths of sleep
perhaps will wake again;

but silent, absorbed, on bended knee,
as men worship God at His altar,
as I have loved you ... make no mistake,
they'll not love you like that!

Translated by Brian Cole

DARK SWALLOWS WILL RETURN

Dark swallows will return
to hang their nests on your balcony
and again with their wings will rap playfully
on its windows.

But those who checked their flight
to contemplate your beauty and my happiness,
those who memorized our names,
those... will not return!

Dense honeysuckles will return
to climb the adobe walls of your garden
and again in the afternoon even more lovely
will open their flowers.

But those drops of dew
that we watched tremble
and fall like tears of the day...
those... will not return!

Ardent words of love will return
to sound in your ear,
your heart will perhaps awaken
from its deep slumber.

But mute and entranced and kneeling,
like worshiping God at an altar,
like I desired you..., don't kid yourself,
no one will desire you like that!

Translated by H. Landman

DUSKY SWALLOWS AGAIN WILL COME...

Dusky swallows again will come
Upon thy balcony their nests to swing,
And tap their wings upon thy window-panes
In playful fluttering;

But those which slackened in their flight,
Thy beauty and my fortune their concern;
Those which even came to know our names...
Those... will ne'er return!

Twining honeysuckle will come
Again thy garden wall to clamber o'er,
And spread again upon the air its blossoms,
Fairer than all before;

But those, bediamonded with dew,
Whose drops we two were wont to watch aquiver
And fall, as they were tears of limpid morning...
Those... will come back never!

Burning words of love will come
Again full oft within thine ears to sound;
Perchance thy heart will even be aroused
From its sleep profound;

But mute and prostrate and absorbed,
As God is worshipped in His holy fane,
As I have loved thee... undeceive thyself:
Thou wilt not be thus loved again!

Translated by Young Allison

THE DARK SWALLOWS WILL RETURN...

The dark swallows will return
To your balcony to hang their nests
And again with their wings at your window
They will call as they play.

But those who stayed their flight
While contemplating your beauty and my happiness;
Those who learned our names,
Those…., will not return

The dense honeysuckle will again
Climb up the walls of your garden
And again in the evening, even more beautiful,
Its flowers will open

But those pools of dew
Whose drops we would watch as they trembled
And fall as the tears of the day…
Those…., Will not return!

To your ears will return loves
Passionate words to resound;
Your heart, from a deep sleep
Perhaps will awake.

But dumb and absorbed and on your knees
As one adores God before his altar
As I have loved you…, Don’t fool yourself
Thus!....They will not love you.

Translated by by Terry Rooney

Rima LIII. THE BLACK SWALLOWS WILL AGAIN...

The black swallows will return
to nest on your balcony,
and with their wings they will knock
playfully at its windows.

But those who slowed down in their flight
to contemplate your beauty and my happiness,
those who learnt our names...
those....will not return!

The luscious honeysuckle will again
climb the walls of your garden,
and, even more beautiful in the afternoon,
its flowers will bloom again.

But those flowers adorned by dew -
drops we watched to tremble
and fall, as if they were the day's tears...
those... will not return!

Ardent words of love will echo again
in your ears,
your heart from its deep slumber
will perhaps awaken.

Mute, lost in thought and kneeling in worship
as if by the altar of a God,
that is how I loved you...; don't deceive yourself,
nobody will love you so!

Translated by Guia K. Monti

RHYME LII. DARK SWALLOWS WILL DOUBTLESS COME BACK KILLING...

Dark swallows will doubtless come back killing
the injudicious nightflies with a clack of the beak;
but these that stopped full flight to see your beauty
and my good fortune...as if they knew our names -
they'll not come back. The thick lemony honeysuckle,
climbing from earthroot to your window,
will open more beautiful blossoms to the evening;
but these...like dewdrops, trembling, shining, falling,
the tears of day - they'll not come back...
Some other love will sound his fireword for you
and wake your heart, perhaps, from its cool sleep;
but silent, absorbed, and on his knees,
as men adore God at the altar, as I love you -
don't blind yourself, you'll not be loved like that.

Translated by Robert Lowell