Rima LIII / Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer

RIMA LIII

  Volverán las oscuras golondrinas
en tu balcón sus nidos a colgar,
y otra vez con el ala a sus cristales
        jugando llamarán.

  Pero aquellas que el  vuelo refrenaban
tu hermosura y mi dicha a contemplar,
aquellas que aprendieron nuestros nombres...
        ¡esas... no volverán!

  Volverán las tupidas madreselvas
de tu jardín las tapias a escalar,
y otra vez a la tarde aún más hermosas
        sus flores se abrirán.

  Pero aquellas, cuajadas de rocío
cuyas gotas mirábamos temblar
y caer como lágrimas del día...
        ¡esas... no volverán!

  Volverán del amor en tus oídos
las palabras ardientes a sonar;
tu corazón de su profundo sueño
        tal vez despertará.

  Pero mudo y absorto y de rodillas
como se adora a Dios ante su altar,
como yo te he querido...; desengáñate,
        ¡así... no te querrán!

Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer

(Libro de los gorriones (nº38) / Rimas. Edición 1871)





RHYME LIII

The black swallows will return
to hang their nests on your balcony,
and once again will knock in play
against your window panes;

but those that stopped their flight and perched
to observe your beauty and my good luck,
those who learned to know our names...
those... will not return!

The honeysuckle will return,
to climb the walls in your garden,
and open once again at evening
their even more beautiful flowers,

but those blooms that were full of dew
where we saw the trembling drops
fall like tears of the day ...
those... will not return!

Ardent words of love will return
to sound and resound in your ears;
and your heart from the depths of sleep
perhaps will wake again;

but silent, absorbed, on bended knee,
as men worship God at His altar,
as I have loved you ... make no mistake,
they'll not love you like that!

Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer

Translated by Brian Cole





RHYME LIII

Dark swallows will return
to hang their nests on your balcony
and again with their wings will rap playfully
     on its windows.

But those who checked their flight
to contemplate your beauty and my happiness,
those who memorized our names,
     those... will not return!

Dense honeysuckles will return
to climb the adobe walls of your garden
and again in the afternoon even more lovely
     will open their flowers.

But those drops of dew
that we watched tremble
and fall like tears of the day...
     those... will not return!

Ardent words of love will return
to sound in your ear,
your heart will perhaps awaken
     from its deep slumber.

But mute and entranced and kneeling,
like worshiping God at an altar,
like I desired you..., don't kid yourself,
     no one will desire you like that!

Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer

Translated by H. Landman

Translation notes:

Line 19 "sueño" : Literally this would be "dream", but "deep dream" sounds a bit awkward in English. "Slumber" feels more natural here.





RHYME LIII

Dusky swallows again will come
Upon thy balcony their nests to swing,
And tap their wings upon thy window-panes
In playful fluttering;

But those which slackened in their flight,
Thy beauty and my fortune their concern;
Those which even came to know our names...
Those... will ne'er return!

Twining honeysuckle will come
Again thy garden wall to clamber o'er,
And spread again upon the air its blossoms,
Fairer than all before;

But those, bediamonded with dew,
Whose drops we two were wont to watch aquiver
And fall, as they were tears of limpid morning...
Those... will come back never!

Burning words of love will come
Again full oft within thine ears to sound;
Perchance thy heart will even be aroused
From its sleep profound;

But mute and prostrate and absorbed,
As God is worshipped in His holy fane,
As I have loved thee... undeceive thyself:
Thou wilt not be thus loved again!

Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer

Translated by Young Allison

Robert Lowell also wrote a loose adaptation of this poem (subtitled "Volveran") which begins:

Dark swallows will doubtless come back killing
the injudicious nightflies with a clack of the beak





LIII

Les obscures hirondelles reviendront
sur  ton balcon suspendre leurs nids
et une autre fois avec l’aile sur leur vitres
en jouant elles frapperont.

Mais celles-là qui le vol réfrénaient
ta beauté et mon bonheur pour contempler,
celles-là qui apprirent nos prénoms…
Celles-là… elles ne reviendront pas !

Reviendront les chèvrefeuilles épaisses
escalader de ton jardin les murs,
et une autre fois au soir plus belles encore
ses fleurs elles ouvriront.

Mais celles-là, caillées de rosée,
dont les gouttes nous regardions trembler
et tomber comme des larmes du jour...
celles-là… elles ne reviendront pas!

Elles  reviendront de l’amour à tes oreilles
sonner les mots ardents;
ton cœur de ton profond sommeil
peut-être qu’ il éveillera

Mais muet et absorbé et à genoux
comme on adore Dieu devant son autel…
comme je t’ai aimée…; déchante-toi,
comme ça… ils ne t’aimeront pas!

Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer





RIMA LIII

Torneranno le nere rondini
e appenderanno i nidi sul tuo balcone,
e un'altra volta con l'ala sui vetri
chiameranno per gioco;

ma quelle che frenavano il volo,
per contemplre la tua bellezza e la mia gioia,
quelle che impararono i nostri nomi,
quelle...non torneranno!

Torneranno le folte madreselve
per scalare le mura del tuo giardino,
e ancora una volta di sera, sempre più belli,
si apriranno i loro fiori;

ma quelle tempestate di rugiada,
le cui gocce guardavamo tremare
e cadere come lacrime del giorno...,
quelle...non tornerammo!

Torneranno le parole ardenti dell'amore
a risuonare nelle tue orecchie;
il tuo cuore dal suo profondo sonno
si potrà forse risvegliare;

ma muto e assorto e inginocchiato,
come si adora Dio sull'altare,
come io ti ho amato..., disingànnati:
così, nessuno ti potrà amare!

Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer





LIII

O kara kırlangıçlar dönecek
Balkonuna yuvalarını asmaya,
Ve oynaşırlarken, kanatları yeniden
Çarpacak camlarına;

Ama senin güzelliğinle benim mutluluğumu
Seyretmek için uçuşlarına ara verenler,
Hani adlarımızı da bilenler…
İşte onlar… dönmeyecekler!

Bahçendeki o gür hanımelleri dönecek
Duvarlara tırmanmak için,
Ve daha güzel kokularla yeniden
Açacaklar akşamleyin;

Ama kırağı çalıp da donanlar,
Günün gözyaşları gibi, üzerinden
Titreyen çiğ tanecikleri dökülenler…
İşte onlar… dönmeyecekler!

O yakan sevda sözleri dönecek
Kulaklarında çınlayarak;
Ve kalbin uyanacak yeniden
O derin uykusundan;

Ama tanrının huzurunda diz çökmüş,
Sessizce yakaran insanlar gibi,
Tıpkı benim seni sevdiğim gibi… hiç kimse
Seni bir daha öyle sevmeyecek!

Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer

Çeviri: Cevat Çapan

London, 1959, by Sergio Larrain