Rima LIX

by Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer
translated by H. Landman


She wounded me, hiding in the shadows,
sealing her treachery with a kiss.
She flung arms around my neck and back
and broke my heart in cold blood.

Yet nonchalantly she follows her course,
happy, smiling, nonchalant, and why?
because blood does not gush from the wound...
  because the dead man still stands.

Me ha herido recatándose en las sombras,
sellando con un beso su traición.
Los brazos me echó al cuello y por la espalda
me partió a sangre fría el corazón.

Y ella impávida sigue su camino,
feliz, risueña, impávida, ¿y por qué?
porque no brota sangre de la herida...
  ¡porque el muerto esta en pie.


Translation notes:
Manuel Tellechea pointed out some errors in an earlier version.


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Copyright ©2001,2003 Howard A. Landman / howard@polyamory.org
Created 2001 November 30
Last updated 2003 August 14