Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Fredy Chicangana

THE STONE OF WATER

On the banks of a restless river
we go asking the stones
about our passage through the world
and about the secrets of the great mountain.
Our voice says: for what did we come to this bank sister stone
if not to flower near the earth,
for what did we come to this sky
if not to sing our sorrows and joys?
It is true — says the stone —
I also was fire and loved from other banks,
today I’m a rush of water, cold and the shadow of night,
the serpents sing and dance in my body
to remember the origin
because that was the reason we came to earth
to be a stone of water and memory facing oblivion.

LA PIEDRA DEL AGUA

LA PIEDRA DEL AGUA

Por las orillas de un río bullicioso
vamos interrogando a las piedras
sobre nuestro paso por este mundo
y sobre aquellos secretos de la gran montañas.
Dice nuestra voz: ¿a qué vinimos a esta orilla hermana piedra
si no es a florecer junto a la tierra
a qué vinimos a este cielo
si no es a cantar nuestras penas y alegrías?
Es cierto — dice la piedra —,
también fui guego y amé desde otras orillas,
hoy soy golpe de agua, frío y sombra de la noche
en mi cuerpo cantan y danzan las serpientes
para no olvidar el origen
porque a eso vinimos a la tierra
a ser piedrad de agua y memoria ante el olvido.
Close

THE STONE OF WATER

On the banks of a restless river
we go asking the stones
about our passage through the world
and about the secrets of the great mountain.
Our voice says: for what did we come to this bank sister stone
if not to flower near the earth,
for what did we come to this sky
if not to sing our sorrows and joys?
It is true — says the stone —
I also was fire and loved from other banks,
today I’m a rush of water, cold and the shadow of night,
the serpents sing and dance in my body
to remember the origin
because that was the reason we came to earth
to be a stone of water and memory facing oblivion.

THE STONE OF WATER

On the banks of a restless river
we go asking the stones
about our passage through the world
and about the secrets of the great mountain.
Our voice says: for what did we come to this bank sister stone
if not to flower near the earth,
for what did we come to this sky
if not to sing our sorrows and joys?
It is true — says the stone —
I also was fire and loved from other banks,
today I’m a rush of water, cold and the shadow of night,
the serpents sing and dance in my body
to remember the origin
because that was the reason we came to earth
to be a stone of water and memory facing oblivion.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère