Four poems by Lois Pereiro

My translations of four poems from the 1995 volume Poemas da morte sobrevivida a forza de paixón e sabotaxes by Galician poet Lois Pereiro (1958-1996).

UPDATE 4-30-14: Due to pure sloth on my part, an earlier version of this post did not include the original poems. I have rectified this. You can also find these poems, as well as other work by Pereiro, here.

Transmigración

Esta enerxía xa non vai ter fin,
non foi creada nin será destruída.
Irá ocupando diferentes vidas,
transformándose en emocións alleas
tatuadas noutros corpos paralelos,
en simultáneas procesións
sen pausa.

Nun cálido universo apaixonado
voume dosificando con usura,
ata que chegue a hora de voltar,
canso e feliz,
ó punto de partida.


Transmigration

This energy will have no end,
it wasn't made nor will it be destroyed.
It will occupy different lives, 
transforming itself into other emotions
tattooed on parallel bodies,
in simultaneous ceaseless
parades.

In a warm empassioned universe
I share myself out usuriously,
until the hour of arrives when I
tired and happy must return
to the point of departure.

---

Mala sorte

E por primeira vez desde que souben
que aínda respiraba e seguía vivo
sei o que é sentir medo a non estalo

Interrompido na mellor escea
cando estaba soñando un soño dérmico
de paixón e beleza
cunha serea distancia literaria e sabia

Só ela podía ser tan inoportuna
groseira inculta e pouco delicada
chamándome despois de ter sobrevivido
á confortable atracción do fracaso
e saber dunha vez o que era a vida
amar e ser amado.


Bad luck

And for the first time since I figured out
that I was still breathing and still alive
I know what it is to fear the alternative

Interrupted during the best part
while I was dreaming a dermal scene
of passion and beauty
with the serene distance of literature and wisdom

Only she could have such bad timing
be so rude classless and uncouth
as to call for me after I'd survived
the comfortable appeal of failure
and finally learned what life was
loving and being loved.

---

Un soño alleo repetido

O certo é que teño a impresión ás veces
que se fai máis patente cada día
de que pese ás evidencias en contra
debín morrer daquela

e estou vivindo un soño repetido
nas noites dos que me seguen querendo.

Someone else's recurring dream

It's true that sometimes I get the impression,
and it's getting clearer day by day,
that despite evidence to the contrary
I must have died a while back

and I'm living now inside a dream that repeats itself
at night in those who keep on loving me.

---

Poderíano escoller como epitafio

Cuspídeme enriba cando pasedes
por diante do lugar no que eu repouse
enviándome unha húmida mensaxe
de vida e de furia necesaria.


This could be my epitaph

Spit on me as you pass by
the place where I shall repose
sending me a humid sign
of life and necessary fury.