Já que és tão poeta

Versos de José Ramiro
http://www.chaosobral.org/hlcdomeuchao.htm

Traduzidos gentilmente para o inglês por
Álvaro Elbling de Campos

A Hog Slaughtering Party

In my place they tell this story
In a village not far from me
There went unwise men only
To this local Winter party

Neither saw the hog flee
When they should tie it properly! ...
But spirits with honey,
They knew how to drink plenty! ...

Looking for it by touch, blindly
In the dark shed, with difficulty,
The owner falls on the floor, slippery.
An animal was caught finally...

The rope man ties it up, promptly
But snout, felt by touch, strangely
Seemed not as big as should be
Cries the owner franticly:
“I am not the hog - Release me!"


"A SINGUING DUEL

Since you’re a poet, come on,
Tell me, if you are aware,
By singing, In Lisbon
How many streets are there?!

Length-wise, it has eighteen
And across, nineteen streets!
And you tell me singing,
How many fish in the seas?!

The fish in the sea, swimming
Many will drink deep below!
And you tell me there, singing,
How many men in the world?!

The men in the world, living
They all one day will die!
Now tell me there singing
How many stars in the sky?!

How many stars in the sky?
You tell me by singing, fast,
Since I’m not going up that high!
How many teeth has the rasp?!

It has the same number
As a lemon, that’s my thought!
Now sing me, to this, your answer
Does my love loves me or not?!"