Nidia Hernández: Templanza | Fortitude

Templanza

El torbellino del mundo
nos trae el contratiempo
y la templanza.

En el océano
las tortugas
fusionan su nado con el mar
y emerge el hilo imantado
que las devolverá
a su arena de origen
La luna cambia sus fases
y aparece en el mundo
una migración de mariposas
Aquí
en mi arena movediza
contemplo
extensiones y extensiones
de crepúsculos y lilas
el horizonte comienza
a modular una canción
la cantaremos juntas

~~~~

Fortitude

translated by Rowena Hill

The maelstrom of the world
brings us setbacks
and fortitude.
In the ocean
turtles
blend their swimming with the sea
and the magnetized thread emerges
that will return them
to the sand of their origin

The moon changes its phases
and in the world appears
a migration of butterflies

Here
on my shifting sand
I contemplate
expanses and expanses
of twilights and lilacs

the horizon begins
to modulate a song
we will sing it together

~~~~~

Nidia Hernández was born in Venezuela, and has been living in the US since 2018. She is a poet and translator of Portuguese poetry, an editor, broadcaster, and radio producer, and a poetry curator. Nidia directs the editorial project lamajadesnuda.com, which won the 2011 WSA prize for Cultural Heritage. She curates Poesiaudio (Arrowsmith Press) and is a contributor for Mercurius Magazine. She has presented works drawn from the 31 years of her radio program (also called La maja desnuda) which has more than 1,560 broadcasts. Currently, she is broadcasting the program through UPV Radio 102.5 FM in Valencia, Spain.

Copyright 2024 Nidia Hernández. Translation copyright Rowena Hill. From The Farewell Light (2024, Arrowsmith)