De Sor Juana Ins de la Cruz

(Juana Ins de Asbaje y Ramrez)

En perseguirme, Mundo, qu interesas?
En qu te ofendo, cuando slo intento
poner bellezas en mi entendimiento
y no mi entendimiento en las bellezas?
Yo no estimo tesoros ni riquezas;
y as, siempre me causa ms contento
poner riquezas en mi pensamiento
que no mi pensamiento en las riquezas.
Y no estimo hermosura que, vencida,
es despojo civil de las edades,
ni riqueza me agrada fementida
teniendo por mejor, en mis verdades
consumir vanidades de la vida
que consumir la vida en vanidades.
[Translation]
Persecuting me, World, what do you look for?
How do I offend you, when I'm only intending
placement of beauties in my comprehension,
not comprehension being placed in the beauties?
I'm esteeming neither treasures nor richness;
then always causes to me more contentment
placement of richness inside of my thinking,
than of my thinking in richness the placement.
And sightliness, expired, I'm not esteeming,
being civil dispossession of the ages;
neither, perfidious, richness is my pleasing
taking as better, from truths that I'm keeping,
consumption, by living, of trivialities,
than consumption, by trivialities, of living.
Translation: Alfredo Salvador C. Garca
August 27th, 2014. Mexico City