2 Poems by Elí Urbina
ELÍ URBINA (Chimbote, Perú, 1989). He is licenced in Letters and has a Master’s degree in University Teaching and Pedagogic Research. He has published the poetry collections: “La sal de las hienas” - The salt of the hyenas (Plectro Editores, 2017) and “El abismo del hombre”- The abyss of men (Buenos Aires Poetry, 2020). His poetry has been translated into Greek, Serbian, Macedonian, French, Italian and English. He is the founder and director of the poetry magazine Santa Rabia (www.santarabiamagazine.com).
Translation to English: Sofía Leibovich
GUARDO HOSPEDADA EN MI MEMORIA
Guardo hospedada en mi memoria
la imagen apacible del cuerpo del amor.
La luz ha de llegar de nuevo,
pero ahora, en lo real, tan solo la lluvia
cubre la calle como negro alpiste.
Mira descender lentamente
la espina de la carne en la herida secreta.
El burdel, su avaricia, sorbe mi alma agotada,
mi esperanza sedienta de sentir,
por un instante, el sordo crepitar.
En penumbra la prostituta baila
con la sinuosidad de una ancha llamarada.
Ya el ansia se amontona en el espejo,
la sombra de mi mano se prolonga.
Por mucho que el placer arda
siempre su rostro en mi interior se enciende.
(De “El abismo del hombre”, 2020)
I KEEP HOSTED IN MY MEMORY
I keep hosted in my memory
the placid image of the body of love.
Light must come again,
but now, in reality, only the rain
drapes the avenue as black birdseed.
Look at the slow descent of
meat’s thorn into the secret wound.
The brothel, its greed, absorbs my burnt-out soul,
my hope, thirsting of feeling,
for an instant, the deaf crackle.
In the gloom the prostitute dances
with the sinuosity of a broad flare.
Already the longing gathers around in the mirror,
the shadow of my hand lengthens.
As strong as the pleasure burns
always her face inside me ignites.
(From “The abyss of men”, 2020)
SOLO DENTRO DE TI
Oh espejo de obsidiana
encendido en la sombra,
oscuridad del alma,
olvido del asombro,
ventana imperturbable,
cristal de huraña nitidez,
tentacular dominio
del tiempo entumecido,
voracidad oculta
en el anonimato,
exilio peligroso,
escudo tremebundo,
solo dentro de ti,
en tu insaciable hondura,
suplico sin sentido
una brizna de luz,
un rapto iridiscente,
ilusorio consuelo,
vano espejismo
de la perdida dicha.
(De “El abismo del hombre”, 2020)
ONLY INSIDE OF YOU
Oh, obsidian mirror
lighted in the shadow,
darkness of the soul,
forgetfulness of wonder,
undisturbed window,
crystal of sullen sharpness,
tentacular dominance
of numbed time,
hidden voracity
in anonymity,
dangerous exile,
terrifying shield,
only inside of you,
in your insatiable depth,
senseless I pray
a fiber of light
an iridescent rapt,
deceptive consolation,
vain mirage
of lost joy.
(From “The abyss of men”, 2020)
© All rights reserved by Torkito Tarjoni