Blogia
On Poetry and Culture Shock

Spring flowers

Snowdrops on the ground,
White lilies on pots:
Will you live forty-two months?

Azahar en la rama,
nardos en un jarrón:
¿vais a vivir cuarenta y dos meses?


This is mi first poem on the classic collige, virgo, rosas topic (a variation on Carpe Diem: “pick up the roses before it’s too late”). It is a good example of how translation needs to take liberties sometimes. The first flower is the first of spring and it grows in the streets. The second flower smells really sweet. Both are white. But the American version gets American flowers and the Seville version gets Seville flowers.

And it's dedicated to MP,with thanks for the friendship, the patience, the rides, the CD's, and of course, the daffodils.

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