Memoria Roja

Clark Ashton Smith

Esta memoria vuelve todavía
de un jardín de amaranto más retinto:
los lagos del ocaso, colorando
mi desvarío como un vino tinto;
y los rubíes, hundidos talismanes,
en tus profundos ojos de jacinto.

Un esplendor de bermellón bañaba
las hiedras y las flores fúnebres;
y de tus labios yo bebí la sangre
que un dios sangraba fuera del ciprés;
y mi alto corazón llovía la vida,
la esencia de sanguinos árboles. . . .

Pero la noche vino a apagar
los mágicos rubfes y el fuego rojo
con el icor del dios. . . . En vano busco
aquella claridad en cielo y en ojo. . .
hallando ya símbolos y palabras
a limitar el río leteo y flojo.

Red memory (translation 1)

This memory still backs
from a browner amarantum garden:
sunset lakes, colouring
my raving as a red wine;
and rubies, aunk talismans,
In your deep hyacinth eyes.

A vermillion splendour bathed
all ivies and funereal flowers;
and from your lips i drank blood
that a god bleeded out of a cypress;
and my high heart rainde life,
essence of bloody trees. . .

But night came to extinguish
magical rubies and red fire
with god's ichor. . . In vain i seek
that clearness in sky and in eye. . .
finding now symbols and words
to limit slow and weak river.

Translation by: Ramon Cabrales

Red memory (translation 2)

This memory about a garden
of the most chestnut-coloured amaranths returns yet:
the lakes of the sunset, colouring
my delirium like a red wine;
and the rubies, hollow talismans,
in your deep hyacinth eyes.

A vermilion brilliance bathed
the ivies and the mournful flowers;
and, from your lips, I drank the blood
that a god bleed beyond the cypress;
and the life, the essence of blood-red trees,
rained from my heart. . .

But the night came to tone down
the magical rubies and the red fire
with the god's ichor. . . I look in vain for
that brightness in the sky and in the eye. . .
finding new symbols and words
to limit the weak, letheum river.

Translation by: J. M. Cárdenas

Printed from: eldritchdark.com/writings/poetry/331
Printed on: December 22, 2024