Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

José Asunción Silva

BUTTERFLIES

In a fragile vase
In your chamber are
Preserved butterflies
That when touched by
A brilliant sun ray
Turn to mother-of-pearl,
Pieces of iridescent
Evening sky
Or opaline glimmer
Of velvety wings;
There the azure
Daughters of the air,
Mercurial wings
Now fixed forever,
Wings that traversed
Unexplored valleys
That like the desires
Of your enamored soul
Seem, at dawn,
To be revived
When you unlatch
Your windows and sun
Explodes in your eyes
And in crystalline panes.

MARIPOSAS

MARIPOSAS

En tu aposento tienes,
En urna frágil,
Clavadas mariposas,
Que, si brillante
Rayo de sol las toca,
Parecen nácares
O pedazos de cielo,
Cielos de tarde,
O brillos opalinos
De alas suaves;
Y allí están las azules
Hijas del aire,
Fijas ya para siempre
Las alas ágiles,
Las alas, peregrinas
De ignotos valles,
Que como los deseos
De tu alma amante
A la aurora parecen
Resucitarse,
Cuando de tus ventanas
Las hojas abres
Y da el sol en tus ojos
Y en los cristales.
Close

BUTTERFLIES

In a fragile vase
In your chamber are
Preserved butterflies
That when touched by
A brilliant sun ray
Turn to mother-of-pearl,
Pieces of iridescent
Evening sky
Or opaline glimmer
Of velvety wings;
There the azure
Daughters of the air,
Mercurial wings
Now fixed forever,
Wings that traversed
Unexplored valleys
That like the desires
Of your enamored soul
Seem, at dawn,
To be revived
When you unlatch
Your windows and sun
Explodes in your eyes
And in crystalline panes.

BUTTERFLIES

In a fragile vase
In your chamber are
Preserved butterflies
That when touched by
A brilliant sun ray
Turn to mother-of-pearl,
Pieces of iridescent
Evening sky
Or opaline glimmer
Of velvety wings;
There the azure
Daughters of the air,
Mercurial wings
Now fixed forever,
Wings that traversed
Unexplored valleys
That like the desires
Of your enamored soul
Seem, at dawn,
To be revived
When you unlatch
Your windows and sun
Explodes in your eyes
And in crystalline panes.
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