Paul Archer - photo Paul Archer - poet, translator

Poems

Lyrics
Translations
Contact
Home

My scaffolding

My scaffolding is made of clumsiness
of errors, pain, failed love,
of sections of humor and sanity,
pieces of forgiveness, hatred and coldness.
 
My structure is based on vain things
on metaphors, laughter and betrayal,
on grand illusions and downfalls,
on the strength of each recovery.
 
My armor is a carapace of cotton
painted hard every day,
plated in loneliness and easy words,
with a tilted lance made of straw.
 
My helmet doesn’t cover my head,
it's just a trompe l'oeil, a scribble,
it moves and joggles at each step
facilitating the blows of my enemy.
 
And so... with errors, laughter, straw and blows
I resist like Quijote the assault,
the great stupidity, the immense doubt,
the perpetual emotion, and the lies.

English translation by Paul Archer of 'Mi andamiaje' by Conchi da Silva.

Mi andamiaje

Mi andamiaje está hecho de torpezas
de errores, de dolor, de amor fallido,
de segmentos de humor y de cordura,
de trozos de perdón, de odio y de olvido.

Mi estructura se basa en cosas vanas
en metáforas, risas y traiciones,
en grandes ilusiones y caídas,
en la fuerza de cada remontada.

Mi armadura es coraza de algodones
pintada de dureza cada día,
chapada en soledad y verbo fácil,
con una lanza en ristre hecha de paja.

Mi yelmo no me cubre la cabeza,
es sólo un trampantojo, un garabato,
se mueve y descoloca a cada paso
facilitando el golpe a mi enemigo.

Más...con errores, risas, paja y golpes
resisto cual Quijote la embestida,
la gran estupidez, la inmensa duda,
la perpetua emoción, y la mentira.

Listen to Conchi da Silva reading her poem 'Mi andamiaje'.

For more translations of poems by Conchi da Silva, go to Translations.

 Translations
© Paul Archer - All Rights Reserved