Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Giovanni Quessep

Fabric

If I had your eyes, spinner,
I could see what I have never seen:
Silver threads, golden threads, silken threads
Moving in my hands
To weave the four seasons,
Especially the spring
Or the autumn that ends all;
I would see the water coursing through the skein
And towers on the bottom of the boats.
Or on the distaff would observe
The lovely forms which are now the thread
Wherein death always awaits us,
Silver thread, golden thread, silken thread.

Tejido

Tejido

Si tuviese tus ojos, hilandera
podría ver lo que jamás he visto:
hilos de plata, hilos de oro, hilos de seda
moviéndose en mis manos
para tejer las cuatro estaciones,
especialmente la primavera
o el otoño que todo lo acaba;
vería el agua correr por la madeja
y torres en el fondo de las barcas,
o miraría en la rueca
las bellas formas que ya son el hilo
en que siempre la muerte nos espera.
El hilo de plata, el hilo de oro, el hilo de seda.
Close

Fabric

If I had your eyes, spinner,
I could see what I have never seen:
Silver threads, golden threads, silken threads
Moving in my hands
To weave the four seasons,
Especially the spring
Or the autumn that ends all;
I would see the water coursing through the skein
And towers on the bottom of the boats.
Or on the distaff would observe
The lovely forms which are now the thread
Wherein death always awaits us,
Silver thread, golden thread, silken thread.

Fabric

If I had your eyes, spinner,
I could see what I have never seen:
Silver threads, golden threads, silken threads
Moving in my hands
To weave the four seasons,
Especially the spring
Or the autumn that ends all;
I would see the water coursing through the skein
And towers on the bottom of the boats.
Or on the distaff would observe
The lovely forms which are now the thread
Wherein death always awaits us,
Silver thread, golden thread, silken thread.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère