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
Azra, Azra, Wake up Azra. Wake up Azra, It is... Read More
Tale of the Brick Maker, Of San Jer?nimo, Peru... Read More
Storm Rising along the Lima Coast [Summer of 2002]?wind was... Read More
The Epic Poem:A Death in Cajamarca, Peru [Atahualpa, in Cajamarca]Advance:... Read More
So many looked to you for inspiration,Unlikely hero for the... Read More
In early fall, in Minnesota, the rain falls, falls, In... Read More
Advance: Mr. Dennis Siluk's poetry can have its fire-hearted twists:... Read More
The Monster Mash The Graveyard SmashHave you heard of the... Read More
Kamalakanta was born in Burdwan India in the late 18th... Read More
I cannot bear to think of when you will be... Read More
I can see the cerulean blue of the skiesOr the... Read More
Little girl from HuancayoDo you really, really know? Just how... Read More
I want to get closeI am afraid.Afraid of what... Read More
My eyes opened. I am still alive; Living on... Read More
If a happiness poem could bring forth a smile, Then... Read More
"To My Dear and Loving Husband" was written by America's... Read More
How wonderfully sweet to be a dweller dwelling... Read More
Poetry is more than just rhyming and prose that is... Read More
I get up in the morningAnd want to stay in... Read More
1) End PoemWherever you are today- Is where you were... Read More
Take some time to stop and look at nature. Pick... Read More
Learn about love by reading poetry by a long dead... Read More
Have you ever thought about how nice it would be... Read More
Writing innovative poetry, the kind of poetry that reputable literary... Read More
In the quiet of the arctic night- In its deep... Read More
Blind DesignsBorn today, gone tomorrow Like a butterfly with no... Read More
It's dark, it's cold, its' just six thirty,thoughts of sleep... Read More
now is not the time to open open that great... Read More
Footprints to Mantaro Valley (English version)In what retreat art hid?-Where... Read More
Says Mr. Dennis Siluk, when asked to review his poetry... Read More
One of the most important poets of the post-war period,... Read More
McLean, VA - "The Healing Conscious" tells the story of... Read More
AFRICA (to africans in diaspora)africa here i come, africa africa... Read More
You cannot make someone love you. All you can do... Read More
Poet Stephen B. Wiley's first book of poetry, Hero Island,... Read More
1)dying in the bar [sluggishly]yet, I would crawl too upto... Read More
Stone Beds [Pompeii's surge]Advance: after the great eruption of Pompeii's... Read More
You can do and you can be whatever you want.... Read More
In early fall, in Minnesota, the rain falls, falls, In... Read More
Black Blood, in Jeremiah's Vines [A Dream Poem]And I heard... Read More
Advance: Mr. Dennis Siluk's poetry can have its fire-hearted twists:... Read More
I get up in the morningAnd want to stay in... Read More
Little girl from HuancayoDo you really, really know? Just how... Read More
Part OneI tell you a legend of long ago Of... Read More
The Exit Poems [And Socrates]Iron and FireIron can be... Read More
Iquitos & the Amazon Part OneIt was December 2, l959,... Read More
It was not me as I am now. It was... Read More
I'm not well. Can't you tell? Kinda low, so,... Read More
Burning Autumn Leaves [1950s in St. Paul, Minnesota]My long steel... Read More
"To My Dear and Loving Husband" was written by America's... Read More
Poetry |