Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Juan Diego Tamayo

THE WEAVER

As I weave, I sing. My life has been one of weaving every hour and every instant. I have woven the foliage of woods in the most somber and chaotic nights. I have woven the gracefulness of waves and I have lingered in their crests for more than a bad sentence. I have woven words that shine brightly like the diamonds of unknown dancers. My life has been one of weaving. And as I weave, I sing of the happiness and misfortunes of men. I sing of the birth of things: of water, of stones, of fire, which in its crackling accompanies me in song. I sing not to forget the whys and wherefores of things. And as I sing I weave and unweave the course of sailors, the avatars of warriors, the half-light groped by the blind man. My hands fill with multicolored threads to weave the rainbow. My hands tangle in the weft of days that comes with spring light. And how difficult it is to weave the rain, which likewise repeats my songs that lull  us until the most placid of dreams have been reached. I spin and warp the finest weft. I tell stories in the fabric. Admirable is my art as admirable is my singing. From my loom hangs the dawn and its colors which will please the men’s gaze. Tonight, as I sing like the murmur of the brook, I hope to finish weaving a star. The sky does not admit voids. As I sing I embroider the loves of gods and men. I represent the human and divine weft and through my hands the celebration of fortune and its misfortunes. It has been as arduous for me to weave the blood of battles as the kisses of lovers. I am the weaver. The one who warps the weft of life with her threads. And as I sing I warp and unwarp the silence of uncertainty. I spin words that grow like branches as far as the other world. How pleasing it has been for me to knit ashes, birdsong, a leaf trembling in the solitary afternoon. How pleasing that my threads revive the splendor of the sea in the afternoon. I baste my memories. I embroider the memory of my being. As I weave, I sing. I am the weaver. The filigree of the world. I hope I never put in the final stitch.

DE LA TEJEDORA

DE LA TEJEDORA

Mientras tejo, canto. Mi vida ha sido tejer a cada hora y a cada instante. He tejido el follaje de los bosques en las noches más sombrías y caóticas. He tejido la gracia de las olas y en sus crespones me he demorado más que una mala sentencia. He tejido palabras que refulgen como diamantes de ignotas bailarinas. Mi vida ha sido tejer. Y mientras tejo canto la dicha y la desventura de los hombres. Canto el nacimiento de las cosas: del agua, de las piedras, del fuego que en su crepitar me acompaña haciéndome coro. Canto para no olvidar el porqué de las cosas. Y mientras canto tejo y destejo el rumbo de los marinos, los avatares de los guerreros, la penumbra que palpa el ciego. Mis manos se llenan de hilos multicolores para tejer el arco iris. Mis manos se enredan en la trama de los días que viene con su luz de primavera. Y cuán difícil es tejer la lluvia, la que así mismo repite mis canciones que arrullan hasta alcanzar el más plácido de los sueños. Hilo y urdo la trama finísima. Represento historias sobre la tela. Admirable es mi arte como admirable mi canto. De mi telar cuelga la aurora y sus colores que agradarán la mirada de los hombres. Esta noche mientras canto como el murmullo del arroyo espero terminar de tejer una estrella. El cielo no admite los vacíos. Mientras canto bordo los amores de los dioses y de los hombres. Represento la trama humana y divina y por entre mis manos la celebración de la ventura y sus desgracias. Tan arduo me ha sido tejer la sangre de las batallas como los besos de los enamorados. Soy la tejedora. La que con sus hilos urde la trama de la vida. Y mientras canto tejo y destejo el silencio de la incertidumbre. Hilo palabras que como ramas crecen hasta el más allá. Cuán grato me ha sido tejer la ceniza, el canto de las aves, una hoja temblando en la tarde solitaria. Cuán grato que mis hilos aviven el resplandor del mar en la tarde. Hilvano ahora mis recuerdos. Bordo la memoria de mi ser. Mientras tejo, canto. Soy la tejedora. La filigrana del mundo. Espero no dar nunca la puntada final.

Close

THE WEAVER

As I weave, I sing. My life has been one of weaving every hour and every instant. I have woven the foliage of woods in the most somber and chaotic nights. I have woven the gracefulness of waves and I have lingered in their crests for more than a bad sentence. I have woven words that shine brightly like the diamonds of unknown dancers. My life has been one of weaving. And as I weave, I sing of the happiness and misfortunes of men. I sing of the birth of things: of water, of stones, of fire, which in its crackling accompanies me in song. I sing not to forget the whys and wherefores of things. And as I sing I weave and unweave the course of sailors, the avatars of warriors, the half-light groped by the blind man. My hands fill with multicolored threads to weave the rainbow. My hands tangle in the weft of days that comes with spring light. And how difficult it is to weave the rain, which likewise repeats my songs that lull  us until the most placid of dreams have been reached. I spin and warp the finest weft. I tell stories in the fabric. Admirable is my art as admirable is my singing. From my loom hangs the dawn and its colors which will please the men’s gaze. Tonight, as I sing like the murmur of the brook, I hope to finish weaving a star. The sky does not admit voids. As I sing I embroider the loves of gods and men. I represent the human and divine weft and through my hands the celebration of fortune and its misfortunes. It has been as arduous for me to weave the blood of battles as the kisses of lovers. I am the weaver. The one who warps the weft of life with her threads. And as I sing I warp and unwarp the silence of uncertainty. I spin words that grow like branches as far as the other world. How pleasing it has been for me to knit ashes, birdsong, a leaf trembling in the solitary afternoon. How pleasing that my threads revive the splendor of the sea in the afternoon. I baste my memories. I embroider the memory of my being. As I weave, I sing. I am the weaver. The filigree of the world. I hope I never put in the final stitch.

THE WEAVER

As I weave, I sing. My life has been one of weaving every hour and every instant. I have woven the foliage of woods in the most somber and chaotic nights. I have woven the gracefulness of waves and I have lingered in their crests for more than a bad sentence. I have woven words that shine brightly like the diamonds of unknown dancers. My life has been one of weaving. And as I weave, I sing of the happiness and misfortunes of men. I sing of the birth of things: of water, of stones, of fire, which in its crackling accompanies me in song. I sing not to forget the whys and wherefores of things. And as I sing I weave and unweave the course of sailors, the avatars of warriors, the half-light groped by the blind man. My hands fill with multicolored threads to weave the rainbow. My hands tangle in the weft of days that comes with spring light. And how difficult it is to weave the rain, which likewise repeats my songs that lull  us until the most placid of dreams have been reached. I spin and warp the finest weft. I tell stories in the fabric. Admirable is my art as admirable is my singing. From my loom hangs the dawn and its colors which will please the men’s gaze. Tonight, as I sing like the murmur of the brook, I hope to finish weaving a star. The sky does not admit voids. As I sing I embroider the loves of gods and men. I represent the human and divine weft and through my hands the celebration of fortune and its misfortunes. It has been as arduous for me to weave the blood of battles as the kisses of lovers. I am the weaver. The one who warps the weft of life with her threads. And as I sing I warp and unwarp the silence of uncertainty. I spin words that grow like branches as far as the other world. How pleasing it has been for me to knit ashes, birdsong, a leaf trembling in the solitary afternoon. How pleasing that my threads revive the splendor of the sea in the afternoon. I baste my memories. I embroider the memory of my being. As I weave, I sing. I am the weaver. The filigree of the world. I hope I never put in the final stitch.

Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère