Ded?cate to Antonio Castillo. L. Of. Los Andes Universitario
Ode to:
The Ice Maiden Of Ampato's Summit
English Version
Part One The Climb
In the spring of my life, in my village
By the Andes, I awoke one morning
To find I was chosen for a journey
How shall I say: to the summit of Ampato!
Ampato, our sacred mountain
I climbed with our holy priests.
I found myself twenty-thousand feet high;
I would be the sacrificial offering
Ordained so, by our celestial chief priest.
Once on top, death could scarcely be
Any bitter than its wild arduous winds;
And the icy cold Andean ceremony?.
And there I sat, within the clouds, and rested
With figurines of silver and gold,
And beautiful textiles adorning me
All dressed, in fine indulgent funerary,
I was to be, the Inca Ice Maiden
Now ready for death and burial.
'I hoped the gods of Ampato,' so I prayed
'Are pleased today'; for my body,
Will be frozen soon, anyway.
Yet, I'm so very cold, and my hands clutch,
To my dress-tightly, against my side;
I cannot see anything vividly.
Thus, the holy moment has come for me
I died with every hope that was.
(Five-hundred years ago!...)
Part Two Beyond Death
I felt my soul, my spirit, fall, falling
In this thick discolored air,
After a very, very long silence;
No woman, though woman I once was,
Once was, and now my blood lumped
Lumped and frozen like ice knobs.
The soul maker, from whom gave me
My first breath at birth?
He is coming now, He's nearby
As I reply, He sees my soul cry-
My tears, frozen tears?melt
I will be, resurrected (He tells me)
He rules the earth, its mountains
All its waters and skies,
His holy Inca city, must be nearby?
'Lead me,' I sigh, a lowly sigh-
'Lead me to this Holy Inca City,
And leave my cold ill body behind.'
And He smiles, as he leads me
Leads me with untouchable hands,
Leads me to the Holy City!... #748 7/4/05
∆
In Spanish/Espa?ol
Translated by Nancy Pe?aloza Edited by Rosa Pe?aloza
La Doncella de Hielo De la Cumbre de Ampato
Versi?n en espa?ol
Primera parte
La Subida
En la primavera de mi vida, en mi pueblo Por los Andes, despert? una ma?ana Para encontrar que fui escogida para un viaje.
Como voy a decir: ?A la cumbre de Ampato! Ampato, nuestra monta?a sagrada Sub? con nuestros santos sacerdotes.
Me encontr? a 20,000 pies de altura; Yo ser?a el sacrificio ofrecido Ordenado as?, por nuestro celestial sacerdote principal
Una vez en la cima, la muerte apenas podr?a ser Nada m?s amarga, que sus arduos vientos salvajes; Y la ceremonia andina fr?a helada-.
Y all? me sent?, entre las nubes, y descans?
Con las estatuillas de plata y oro,
Y el textil hermoso adorn?ndome
Toda vestida, en el fino funerario indulgente, Yo deb?a ser, la Doncella Inca de Hielo
Ahora lista para la muerte y el entierro.
"Esper? que los dioses de Ampato", por eso rec? "Est?n contentos hoy d?a"; por que mi cuerpo, Ser? congelado pronto, de todos modos.
Todav?a, tengo tanto fr?o, y mis manos enganchadas, A mi vestido- fuertemente, contra mi costado; No puedo ver nada v?vidamente.
As?, el momento sagrado ha venido para m? Muero con cada esperanza que hubo. (?Quinientos a?os atr?s!....)
Segunda Parte
M?s All? de la Muerte
Sent? mi alma, mi esp?ritu, caer, cayendo En este aire espeso decolorado, Despu?s de un, muy largo silencio
Ninguna mujer, aunque mujer fui una vez Una vez fui, y ahora mi sangre amontonada Amontonada y congelada como copos de hielo.
El Hacedor del alma, por quien mi primer aliento Me fue dado al nacer.... El est? viniendo ahora, El est? muy cerca.
Como respondo, El ve mi alma llorar- Mis l?grimas, l?grimas heladas...derretirse Yo ser?, resucitada (me dice El)
El gobierna la tierra, sus monta?as Todas sus aguas y cielos, Sus ciudades Incas santas deben esta cerca?
"Gu?ame" yo suspiro, un suspiro humilde "Gu?ame a esta ciudad santa Inca, Y deja mi helado cuerpo enfermo atr?s".
Y El sonr?e, mientras me gu?a ?Gui?ndome con sus intocables manos, Gui?ndome a la ciudad santa! .....
#748 4 de Julio del 2005
Dennis Siluk Poet, see his new book "Spell of the Andes," at http://www.amazon.com
Mercedes Benz s500 rentals Salem ..To many non-specialists of literature, poetry is deeply unsatisfying. There... Read More
Contract of DeathI heard today, the preacher say: "Daniel has... Read More
Isn't that what they say?But what does that mean?There's no... Read More
The Exit Poems [And Socrates]Iron and FireIron can be... Read More
Part One Midget HistoryI am thirty-six inches tall, that is... Read More
You cannot make someone love you. All you can do... Read More
Asha of DarfurCry, cry-oh little Darfur woman For your sister... Read More
The Monster Mash The Graveyard SmashHave you heard of the... Read More
Like a cat I slumber, blissfully unencumbered, Through eighty per... Read More
Iquitos & the Amazon Part OneIt was December 2, l959,... Read More
1) Shadows of the Andes [or: Song to the Andes]I... Read More
"How Do I Love Thee?" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning was... Read More
LIFE IS A FANTASY!A pink-eyed rabbit, fuzzy whiteHops in bedrooms... Read More
Ironically, the passion that can neutralize the repulsion for difficulties... Read More
How wonderfully sweet to be a dweller dwelling... Read More
What Hides behind the Minute?What hides behind the minute? It... Read More
Delicately, my mind was selecting a muffled tune, out of... Read More
The concept of brief encounters, even romantic encounters, with a... Read More
You've been writing poetry since that first assignment in your... Read More
Here are three more poems by the author, Dennis Siluk,... Read More
Happy, Sad, Mad and Glad, Moved in down the streetCautious... Read More
Writing Poetry for TomorrowWhat does a man need to be... Read More
During interviews and general conversations with the public,one of the... Read More
Have you ever sat there staring at the paper, ready... Read More
1.Night in Jamaica [Peruvianism: 1810]It was a rainy night... Read More
Dowagiac cheap limo service ..War bombs may explode demolishing man and land. Hurricanes may... Read More
I want to get closeI am afraid.Afraid of what... Read More
English VersionA bunch of us guys in the hutIn ?Nam... Read More
We were exiled from the Garden of Eden. Its... Read More
LIFE IS A FANTASY!A pink-eyed rabbit, fuzzy whiteHops in bedrooms... Read More
Mother's Day Poetry,I'm Sorry Mom!I'm sorry for the troubles ... Read More
I can see the cerulean blue of the skiesOr the... Read More
Here is some witty poetry (not sure if that is... Read More
If a happiness poem could bring forth a smile, Then... Read More
Writing poetry is an art, a way of expression, finding... Read More
You are to me my lifeline my security. That scares... Read More
"For this reason poetry is something more philosophical and more... Read More
Have you ever thought about how nice it would be... Read More
It's dark, it's cold, its' just six thirty,thoughts of sleep... Read More
When I hear your voice inside my head it makes... Read More
now is not the time to open open that great... Read More
Bells for Belphegor!...Where immortal veils never meet Belphegor, Arch devil... Read More
"To My Dear and Loving Husband" was written by America's... Read More
Robert Burns, a poor man, an educated man, and a... Read More
Black Blood, in Jeremiah's Vines [A Dream Poem]And I heard... Read More
The Goat and the Ropewhere there were devils I saw... Read More
"I heard what you said, Red. Yet, I have to... Read More
Grandpa's House [The ole Real House]The house needed painting Sun-blistered... Read More
In Poetry: Meaning of WordsWhen I write poetry, I check... Read More
Cesar Vallejo: Black RosesBow down your head ol' poet- To... Read More
Poetry |