Poemas translated by Frederic G.

William
(POETS OF BRAZIL A Bilingual Selection New York: Luso Brazilian Books)
Brighm Young University Studies, Provo, Utah, USA; Editora da Universidade Feral
da Bahia, Salvador, Brasil.

Crculo vicioso
Bailando no ar, gemia inquieto vaga-lume
"Quem me dera que fosse aquela loura estrela,
Que arde no eterno azul, como uma eterna vela!"
Mas a estrela, fitando a lua, com cime:
"Pudesse eu copiar o transparente lume,
Que, da grega coluna gtica janela,
Contemplou, suspirosa, a fronte amada e bela!"
Mas a lua, fitando o sol, com azedume:
"Msera! tivesse eu aquela enorme, aquela
Claridade imortal, que toda a luz resume!"
Mas o sol, inclinando a rtila capela:
"Pesa-me esta brilhante aurola de nume ...
Enfara-me esta azul e desmedida umbela ...
Por que no nasci eu um simples vaga-lume?"

Vicious Circle
The firefly danced in the air impatiently:
"Oh how I wish that I could be that yellow,
That burns in the eternal blue, a candle far!"
And yet the star gazed on the moon with jealousy:
"If only I could copy such transparency,
Which, from the Grecian column to the Gothic sill,
Has contemplated lovers' faces sighingly!"
And yet the moon gazed on the sun with bitter will:
"Oh misery! If l could be that giant ball,
Immortal clarity, the sum of all that's light!"
The sun, though, leans his brilliant chaplet oer the wall:
Im burdened by this numen's aureole bright
Pm wearied by this blue, unbounded parasol
Why could I not be born a firefly at night?"

SONETO DE SEPARAO
De repente do riso fez-se o pranto
Silencioso e branco como a bruma
E das bocas unidas fez-se a espuma
E das mos espalmadas fez-se o espanto.
De repente da calma fez-se o vento
Que dos olhos desfez a ltima chama
E da paixo fez-se o pressentimento
E do momento imvel fez-se o drama.
De repente, no mais que de repente
Fez-se de triste o que se fez amante
E de sozinho o que se fez contente
Fez-se do amigo prximo o distante
Fez-se da vida uma aventura errante
De repente, no mais que de repente.

SONNET ON SEPARATION
Translated by Ashley Brown
Suddenly laughter became sobbing
Silent and white like the mist
And united mouths became foam
And upturned hands became astonished.
Suddenly the calm became the wind
That extinguished the last flame in the eye
And passion became foreboding
And the still moment became drama.
Suddenly, no more than suddenly
He who'd become a lover became sad
And he who'd become content became lon
The near became the distant friend
Life became a vagrant venture
Suddenly, no more than suddenly.

CONSOLATION AT THE BEACH

Come on, dont cry
Childhood is lost.
Youth is lost.
But life is not lost.
The first love is over.
The second love is over.
The third love is over.
But the hurt goes on.
You have lost your best friend.
You havent tried any traveling.
You won no house, ship, or land.
But you look at the sea.
You havent written the perfect book.
You havent read the best books
Nor have you love music enough.
But you own a dog.
A few harsh words,
In a low voice, have hurt you,.
Never, never have they healed.
But what about humor?
There is no resolution for injustice.
In the shadow of this wrong world
You have whispered a timid protest.
But others will come.
All summed up, you should
Throw yourself once and for all into the waters.
You are naked on the sand, in the wind
Sleep, my son.
Vamos, no chores
A infncia est perdida.
A mocidade est perdida.
Mas a vida no se perdeu.
O primeiro amor passou.
O segundo amor passou.
O terceiro amor passou.
Mas o corao continua.
Perdeste o melhor amigo.
No tentaste qualquer viagem.
No possuis casa, navio, terra.
Mas tens um co.
Algumas palavras duras,
em voz mansa, te golpearam.
Nunca, nunca cicatrizam.
Mas, e o humour?
A injustia no se resolve.
sombra do mundo errado
murmuraste um protesto tmido.
Mas viro outros.
Tudo somado, devias
precipitar-se de vez nas guas.
Ests nu na areia, no vento
Dorme, meu filho.