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consagración de un pedazo de tierra

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Este pedazo de tierra
frente a las aguas de esta ensenada
consagra la viviente presencia
de Emily Dickinson Wellcome
que nació en Inglaterra, se casó,
perdió a su marido y con su hijo
de cinco años se embarcó
en un barco de dos mástiles, rumbo a
Nueva York, fue aventada hasta las Azores,
encalló en los bancos de la Isla del Fuego,
en una casa de huéspedes de Brooklin
encontró a su segundo marido,
se fue con él a Puerto Rico,
parió otros tres hijos, perdió
a su segundo marido, vivió
trabajosamente ocho años
en Santo Tomás y en Santo Domingo, siguió
a su hijo mayor a Nueva York, perdió
a su hija, a su “nene”,
recogió a los chicos del hijo mayor
de su segundo matrimonio, los crió—
quedaron huérfanos— peleó
por ellos con la otra abuela
y las tías, los trajo aquí
verano tras verano y aquí se defendió
contra pícaros, tormentas, sol, fuego,
contra las moscas, contra
las muchachas que venían a husmear,
contra la sequía, la cizaña, las marejadas,
los vecinos, las comadrejas ladronas
de gallinas, contra
la flaqueza de sus propias manos
y la fuerza creciente
de los muchachos, contra el viento,
las piedras, los intrusos, las grietas,
contra su propia alma.

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Desenyerbó esta tierra con sus manos,
tiranizó desde esta parcela, puso
como trapo al hijo mayor
hasta que no la compró, aquí
vivió quince años, aquí
alcanzó la soledad final y—

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Si no puedes traer nada sino
tu osamenta: quédate afuera.

dedication for a plot of ground

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This plot of ground
facing the waters of this inlet
is dedicated to the living presence of
Emily Dickinson Wellcome
who was born in England; married;
lost her husband and with
her five year old son
sailed for New York in a two-master;
was driven to the Azores;
ran adrift on Fire Island shoal,
met her second husband
in a Brooklyn boarding house,
went with him to Puerto Rico
bore three more children, lost
her second husband, lived hard
for eight years in St. Thomas,
Puerto Rico, San Domingo, followed
the oldest son to New York,
lost her daughter, lost her "baby,"
seized the two boys of
the oldest son by the second marriage
mothered them—they being
motherless—fought for them
against the other grandmother
and the aunts, brought them here
summer after summer, defended
herself here against thieves,
storms, sun, fire,
against flies, against girls
that came smelling about, against
drought, against weeds, storm-tides,
neighbors, weasels that stole her chickens,
against the weakness of her own hands,
against the growing strength of
the boys, against wind, against
the stones, against trespassers,
against rents, against her own mind. 
-
She grubbed this earth with her own hands,
domineered over this grass plot,
blackguarded her oldest son
into buying it, lived here fifteen years,
attained a final loneliness and—
-
If you can bring nothing to this place
but your carcass, keep out.
[/ezcol_1half_end]

seized the two boys of
the oldest son by the second marriage
mothered them—they being
motherless—fought for them
against the other grandmother
and the aunts, brought them here
summer after summer, defended
herself here against thieves,
storms, sun, fire,


against flies, against girls
that came smelling about, against
drought, against weeds, storm-tides,
neighbors, weasels that stole her chickens,
against the weakness of her own hands,
against the growing strength of
the boys, against wind, against
the stones, against trespassers,
against rents, against her own mind. 
-
She grubbed this earth with her own hands,
domineered over this grass plot,
blackguarded her oldest son
into buying it, lived here fifteen years,
attained a final loneliness and—
-
If you can bring nothing to this place
but your carcass, keep out.

william carlos williams  

consagración de un pedazo de tierra  

Traducción de Octavio Paz

She grubbed this earth with her own hands,
domineered over this grass plot,
blackguarded her oldest son
into buying it, lived here fifteen years,
attained a final loneliness and—
-
If you can bring nothing to this place
but your carcass, keep out.

She grubbed this earth with her own hands,
domineered over this grass plot,
blackguarded her oldest son
into buying it, lived here fifteen years,
attained a final loneliness and—
-
If you can bring nothing to this place
but your carcass, keep out.