One Spanish Poem a Day (Spanish/English) 16 - Se equivocó la paloma - The dove was wrong - Rafael Alberti

A series of daily posts with a Spanish poem in its original language and translated into English.

One Spanish poem a day - Un poema al día en Español

Se equivocó la paloma.
Se equivocaba.
Por ir al norte, fue al sur.
Creyó que el trigo era agua.
Se equivocaba.
Creyó que el mar era el cielo;
que la noche, la mañana.
Se equivocaba.
Que las estrellas, rocío;
que la calor; la nevada.
Se equivocaba.
Que tu falda era tu blusa;
que tu corazón, su casa.
Se equivocaba.
(Ella se durmió en la orilla.
Tú, en la cumbre de una rama.)

The dove was wrong.
It was mistaken.
By heading north, it went south.
It supposed wheat was water.
But it was mistaken.
It thought the sea was the sky,
and the evening, the morning.
It was mistaken.
It thought the stars were dew,
the heat was snow.
But it was mistaken.
That your skirt was your blouse,
that your heart was a home.
(And it slept by the seashore,
while you perched on a branch.)

Previous

15. Mañana - Tomorrow - Lope de Vega

14. Si tú me dices ven - If you tell me to come - Amado Ruiz Nervo

13. Hora tras hora, día tras día - Hour after hour, day after day - Rosalía de Castro

12. Una mujer me ha envenenado el alma - A woman has poisoned my soul - Gustavo Adolfo Becquer

11. Como quien oye llover - As one listens to the rain - Octavio Paz

10. Nanas de la cebolla - Onion lullaby - Miguel Hernández

9. Historia de la noche - History of the night - Jorge Luis Borges

8. Romance de la luna, luna! - Federico García Lorca

7. Sinfonía en Gris Mayor - Rubén Darío

6. Si tú me olvidas - If your forget me - Pablo Neruda

5. Juegos de agua - Dulce María Loynaz

4. Al olmo viejo - Antonio Machado

3. Donde habita el olvido - Luis Cernuda

2. Shinto - Jorge Luis Borges

1. Juventud/Youth - Pablo Neruda