Lorca's Two Dark Doves

A reading and a reading.

I’ve been somewhat obsessed with Federico Garcia Lorca’s haunting, obscure little poem “Casida De Las Palomas Obscuras.” The original below; after that is a translation that’s informed by translations by W.S. Merwin and Sarah Arvio, with some tweaks.

Casida de las Palomas Obscuras
Por Claudio Guillén

Por las ramas del laurel
van dos palomas oscuras.
La una era el sol,
la otra la luna.
"Vecinitas", les dije,
"¿dónde está mi sepultura?"
"En mi cola", dijo el sol.
"En mi garganta", dijo la luna.
Y yo que estaba caminando
con la tierra por la cintura
vi dos águilas de nieve
y una muchacha desnuda.
La una era la otra
y la muchacha era ninguna.
"Aguilitas", les dije,
"¿dónde está mi sepultura?"
"En mi cola", dijo el sol.
"En mi garganta", dijo la luna.
Por las ramas del laurel
vi dos palomas desnudas.
La una era la otra
y las dos eran ninguna.

Casida of the Dark Doves
For Claudio Guillén

In the laurel tree branches
I saw two dark doves.
One was the sun,
the other the moon.
“Little neighbors,” I said:
“Where is my tomb?”
“In my tail,” said the sun.
“In my throat,” said the moon.
And I who was walking
with the earth round my waist
saw two white eagles
and a naked girl.
One was the other
and the girl was none.
“Little eagles,” I said:
“Where is my grave?”
“In my tail,” said the sun.
“In my throat,” said the moon.
In the laurel tree branches
I saw two naked doves.
One was the other
And both were none.

My efforts to explicate the poem are below for paid subscribers!