The poem
You've asked me what the lobster is weaving there with his golden feet? I reply, the ocean knows this. You say, what is the ascidia waiting for in its transparent bell? What is it waiting for? I tell you it is waiting for time, like you. You ask me whom the Macrocystis alga hugs in its arms? Study, study it, at a certain hour, in a certain sea I know. You question me about the wicked tusk of the narwhal, and I reply by describing how the sea unicorn with the harpoon in it dies. You enquire about the kingfisher's feathers, which tremble in the pure springs of the southern tides? Or you've found in the cards a new question touching on the crystal architecture of the sea anemone, and you'll deal that to me now? You want to understand the electric nature of the ocean spines? The armored stalactite that breaks as it walks? The hook of the angler fish, the music stretched out in the deep places like a thread in the water?
I want to tell you the ocean knows this, that life in its jewel boxes is endless as the sand, impossible to count, pure, and among the blood-colored grapes time has made the petal hard and shiny, made the jellyfish full of light and untied its knot, letting its musical threads fall from a horn of plenty made of infinite mother-of-pearl.
I am nothing but the empty net which has gone on ahead of human eyes, dead in those darknesses, of fingers accustomed to the triangle, longitudes on the timid globe of an orange.
I walked around as you do, investigating the endless star, and in my net, during the night, I woke up naked, the only thing caught, a fish trapped inside the wind.
Does anyone know where this site's translation of Enigmas by Pablo Neruda came from? Thanks.
I don't know, but theis differs subtly but importantly, from my copy. I have a translation by Jack Schmitt published in 1991, as part of the Canto General.
This copy uses 'medus' instead of jellyfish, for example. I have known this poem for some time, and never fully understood this image, of the knot tied withing the translucencies of the jellyfish, because I did not understand the full meaning of the Medusa.
I'd like to see the rest of the translation.
The translation of Pablo Neruda's "Los Enigmas" herein, is not the best. The first line is best translated, "You ask what the crab weaves in the gold of its claws..."
Another line is best translated: "For whom does the alga macrocystis extend its embraces?
Unriddle it, riddle it out, at a time and a sea that I know."
These differences may first appear to be minor, but they are of huge importance to the quality of the piece. IMHO, Shane
para mi el mejor poema de pablo neruda en poema 20
I first encountered this poem back about ten years ago when I received a copy of it from a friend. The version had no title and was missing several of the middle stanzas. Despite this, it also was substantially different in diction. I have always felt a fondness for my original version which is of an unknown translator, because it seemed to have a certain colloquial flow to it. It went: You ask me what is the…
Read the whole commentI first encountered this poem back about ten years ago when I received a copy of it from a friend. The version had no title and was missing several of the middle stanzas. Despite this, it also was substantially different in diction. I have always felt a fondness for my original version which is of an unknown translator, because it seemed to have a certain colloquial flow to it. It went:
You ask me what is the lobster doing down there with it's golden feet?
I tell you the ocean knows this.
You ask what is the ascidia waiting for in it's transparent bell?
I tell you it's waiting for time like you.
You ask me who is the Macrocystic alga hug in it's arms?
Study it. Study it at a certain hour in a certain sea I know.
You question me about the wicked tusk of the gnarwhale and I respond by telling you how the sea unicorn, with a harpoon in it, dies.
Inquire about the kingfisher's feathers which
tremble in the cool breezes off the southern shores;
I want to tell you that the ocean knows this, that life, in it's jewel boxes
Endless as the sands, impossible to count, pure,
Among the blood colored grapes that has made the petal hard and shiny, filled the jellyfish with light and untied it's knot letting it's musical strands fall,
from a horn of plenty made an infinite mother-of-pearl.
I am nothing but the empty net which has gone up ahead of human eyes, dead in the darknesses,
Fingers accustomed to the triangle, longitudes on the timid globe of an orange.
I walked around like you investigating the endless star, and in my net during the night I woke up naked.
The only thing caught: a fish trapped inside the wind.
The translation that you have is actually a copy of the poem that was read at the end of a movie called "Mindwalk" written by Fritjof Capra. The movie is losely based on 'The Turning Point' by the same author. At the end of the movie, the poet, Thomas Harriman played by John Heard, recites that translation of the poem. If you get a chance, it is an exceptional movie. I highly suggest watching.