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Love Asleep
You slept and your arms stretched and almost caressed
my insomnia. It was
as if you surrounded me with your dream –
me sleepless and hunted by the merciless moon –
and I dreamt I fell asleep in your arms.
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If you are curious, here’s Guillén’s original poem:
Amor dormido
Dormías, los brazos me tendiste y por sorpresa
rodeaste mi insomnio. ¿Apartabas así
la noche desvelada, bajo la luna presa?
tu soñar me envolvía, soñado me sentí.
.
and a ‘literal’ translation:
Love asleep
As you slept, the arms stretched out to me and by surprise
you surrounded my insomnia. Did you remove just like that
the sleepless night, me prey to the moon?
Your dream enveloped me, and I felt that I dreamed.
Translation and compilation copyright 2020 John Samuel Tieman. Jorge Guillén’s poem is in the public domain.
And sometime I just love the literal translation although both are beautiful
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