Hello! Another tumblr user I follow has posed a challenge: memorize one poem per month in 2024. I would like to include at least one poem in Catalan in my journey. Could you recommend any good poems or poets for this?
Hello! We have many very talented poets. My favourite poet is Salvador Espriu, other good ones are Miquel Martí i Pol, Vicent Andrés Estellés, Jacint Verdaguer, Maria-Mercè Marçal, Pere Quart, Josep Carner, Ausiàs March, Joan Maragall, Montserrat Abelló, J.V. Foix, Gabriel Ferrater, Joana Raspall, Joan Alcover, Enric Casasses, among others.
I'll add 7 of my favourite short/short-ish poems (+translation to English) under the cut. Poetry is very personal and these are just the ones that I really like, but I'll be happy if anyone else wants to add more of their favourite Catalan poems.
1. Enyore un temps que no és vingut encara (I Miss a Time That's Not Yet Come) by Vicent Andrés Estellés.
Enyore un temps que no és vingut encara
com un passat d’accelerada lluita,
de combatius balcons i d’estendards,
irat de punys, pacífic de corbelles,
nou de cançons, parelles satisfetes,
el menjador obert de bat a bat
i el sol entrant fins al darrer racó.
Em moriré, però l’enyore ja,
aquest moment, aquest ram, aquest dia,
que m’ha de fer aixecar de la fossa
veient passar la multitud contenta.
Translation:
I miss a time that has not arrived yet
like a past of accelerated fight,
of combative balconies and standards,
angry of fists, peaceful of sickles,
new of songs, satisfied couples,
the living room wide open
and the sun entering until the last corner.
I will die, but I miss it already,
this moment, this bouquet, this day,
that shall make me get up from the grave
watching the happy crowd pass by.
2. Assaig del càntic en el temple (Attempted Canticle in the Temple) by Salvador Espriu.
Oh, que cansat estic de la meva
covarda, vella, tan salvatge terra,
i com m’agradaria d’allunyar-me’n,
nord enllà,
on diuen que la gent és neta
i noble, culta, rica, lliure,
desvetllada i feliç!
Aleshores, a la congregació, els germans dirien
desaprovant: «Com l’ocell que deixa el niu,
així l’home que se’n va del seu indret»,
mentre jo, ja ben lluny, em riuria
de la llei i de l’antiga saviesa
d’aquest meu àrid poble.
Però no he de seguir mai el meu somni
i em quedaré aquí fins a la mort.
Car sóc també molt covard i salvatge
i estimo a més amb un
desesperat dolor
aquesta meva pobra,
bruta, trista, dissortada pàtria.
Translation:
How tired I am of this
my craven, ancient, savage fatherland;
and how it would delight me to leave,
going north,
where they say that people are noble and clean,
cultured, rich, free,
awake/unsupervised and happy!
Then, my brethren would tell the congregation, disapprovingly:
"Leaving his native place, a man becomes
like a bird leaving the nest",
while I, in the distance, would laugh at
the law and the ancient wisdom
of this my arid people.
But the dream will never be followed,
I’ll stay here until my death.
For I too am full of cowardice and savagery,
and with a desperate pain I love this my poor,
unclean, sad, unlucky fatherland.
3. Divisa (Motto) by Maria-Mercè Marçal. This one's short and easy!
A l’atzar agraeixo tres dons: haver nascut dona,
de classe baixa i nació oprimida.
I el tèrbol atzur de ser tres voltes rebel.
Translation:
I am grateful to fate for three gifts: to have been born a woman,
from the working class and an oppressed nation.
And the turbid azure of being three times a rebel.
4. Possible introducció a un epitalami (Possible Introduction to an Epithalamium) by Salvador Espriu
I posted this a while ago, find the text and translation in this post:
5. Plus Ultra ("Further" in Latin) by Jacint Verdaguer
Text and translation in this post:
6. Aquesta remor que se sent (This Murmur We Hear) by Miquel Martí i Pol.
Text and translation in this post:
7. Mester d'amor (Knowing How to Love) by Joan Salvat-Papasseit
Si en saps el pler no estalviïs el bes
que el goig d'amar no comporta mesura.
Deixa't besar, i tu besa després
que és sempre als llavis que l'amor perdura.
No besis, no, com l'esclau i el creient,
mes com vianant a la font regalada.
Deixa't besar -sacrifici fervent-
com més roent més fidel la besada.
¿Què hauries fet si mories abans
sense altre fruit que l'oreig en ta galta?
Deixa't besar, i en el pit, a les mans,
amant o amada -la copa ben alta.
Quan besis, beu, curi el veire el temor:
besa en el coll, la més bella contrada.
Deixa't besar
i si et quedava enyor
besa de nou, que la vida és comptada.
Translation:
If you know its pleasure, don't skip the kiss
for the joy of loving has no measure.
Let yourself be kissed, and kiss after it
for it's always on the lips that love lasts.
Don't kiss, no, like the slave and the believer,
but like the passer-by does with a delightful fountain.
Let yourself be kissed -fervent sacrifice-
the more burning, the more faithful is the kiss.
¿What would you have done if you died before
without fruit other than the zephyr on your cheek?
Let yourself be kissed, and on the chest, on the hands,
male or female lover -the cup raised high.
When you kiss, drink; may the glass cure the fear:
kiss on the neck, the most beautiful place.
Let yourself be kissed
and if there's yearning left
kiss again, for life is finite.
These are some I like. You can find more Catalan poems in this blog's tag #poesia.
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Buenos días, amor que triunfas de la sombra
Y abres fuego nuevo con el giro de la campana.
Que te enramas con esfuerzo de raíz y copa
Y, de dado a dado, desmontas el paisaje
Del derribo, y te vuelves mina de bosques
Y de la migaja extraes otra fiesta.
- Maria Mercè Marçal, de Diré tu cuerpo. Traducción de Noelia Díaz Vicedo.
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