Pablo Neruda

I love poetry. In high school, poetry was one of my favorite art forms. I even read a few poems at a poetry slam when I was 16, and I loved it and craved more. My friends and I were into poetry and we began a small compilation of poems we had written that we hoped to make into a book some day. That binder full of beautiful poems written by high school girls lies forgotten, tucked away somewhere in my bedroom at home. Maybe I will revisit it sometime soon.


I took an honors class in my first year of college about Poetry and Design. This class allowed me to revisit poetry, while learning the philosophy of design. What a brilliant course! I wrote dozens of poems for this class, and maybe one day if I feel very open, I'll share one. I rarely share my poetry with people, so we'll see if I feel the urge anytime soon.


I was reminded of my love for poetry today when I read this beautiful poem by Pablo Neruda. In Spanish, the words flow, dancing around my head like undulating streaks of color. The translations are good, but there is nothing like reading it in the beautiful and romantic Spanish language. This poem is so beautiful!!






Quiero que sepas
una cosa.

Tú sabes cómo es esto:
si miro
la luna de cristal, la rama roja
del lento otoño en mi ventana,
si toco
junto al fuego
la impalpable ceniza
o el arrugado cuerpo de la leña,
todo me lleva a ti,
como si todo lo que existe,
aromas, luz, metales,
fueran pequeños barcos que navegan
hacia las islas tuyas que me aguardan.

Ahora bien,
si poco a poco dejas de quererme
dejaré de quererte poco a poco.

Si de pronto
me olvidas
no me busques,
que ya te habré olvidado.

Si consideras largo y loco
el viento de banderas
que pasa por mi vida
y te decides
a dejarme a la orilla
del corazón en que tengo raíces,
piensa
que en ese día,
a esa hora
levantaré los brazos
y saldrán mis raíces
a buscar otra tierra.

Pero
si cada día,
cada hora
sientes que a mí estás destinada
con dulzura implacable.
Si cada día sube
una flor a tus labios a buscarme,
ay amor mío, ay mía,
en mí todo ese fuego se repite,
en mí nada se apaga ni se olvida,
mi amor se nutre de tu amor, amada,
y mientras vivas estará en tus brazos
sin salir de los míos.




English Translation:

I want you to know one thing. You know how this is: if I look at the crystal moon, at the red branch of the slow autumn at my window, if I touch near the fire the impalpable ash or the wrinkled body of the log, everything carries me to you, as if everything that exists, aromas, light, metals, were little boats that sail toward those isles of yours that wait for me. Well, now, if little by little you stop loving me I shall stop loving you little by little. If suddenly you forget me do not look for me, for I shall already have forgotten you. If you think it long and mad, the wind of banners that passes through my life, and you decide to leave me at the shore of the heart where I have roots, remember that on that day, at that hour, I shall lift my arms and my roots will set off to seek another land. But if each day, each hour, you feel that you are destined for me with implacable sweetness, if each day a flower climbs up to your lips to seek me, ah my love, ah my own, in me all that fire is repeated, in me nothing is extinguished or forgotten, my love feeds on your love, beloved, and as long as you live it will be in your arms without leaving mine. Poems retrieved from: http://www.poemas-del-alma.com/pablo-neruda-si-tu-me-olvidas.htm http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/if-you-forget-me/ Dedicated to my special someone. =)