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THE PRAYER

When the moon fell out of the sky
I prayed to the sun, like an Inca,
asking the great god to find his pale
godson and bring him back up high
to light up my nights. Streetlights
didn't do it, and never reached the sea
or the mountains, the two terrains that
formed the backdrop to my existence.

I shaped my prayer into a quiet song
that I intoned to a sunflower that
grew in an earthenware pot in my
garden, all the while watched by a black
cat that belonged to my neighbour,
and when I'd finished, the cat and I
watched the moon rise like a football
and regain its rightful place in the sky.

///

ORAÇÃO

Quando a lua caiu do céu
rezei ao sol, como um Inca,
pedindo ao grande deus para encontrar a sua pálida
afilhada e trazê-la de volta para o alto
a iluminar as minhas noites. As luzes da rua
não o fazem, e nunca alcançam o mar
nem as montanhas, os dois espaços que
formam o pano de fundo da minha existência.

Moldei a minha oração numa música tranquila
e entoei-a a um girassol que
cresceu num pote de barro no meu
jardim, permanentemente observado por um gato
preto, que pertence ao meu vizinho,
e quando acabei, o gato e eu
vimos a lua nascer como uma bola de futebol
e retomar o seu legítimo lugar no céu.

by Matthew SWEENEY, in "THE POETRY REVIEW", Volume 107:3, Autumn 2017

(Portuguese translated by Armando TABORDA, 2017)

(photograph taken from Internet - published under the fair use doctrine for non-commercial educational purposes)

(post 1st edition, 2017; 2nd edition, 2020)
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21 comments

Nouchetdu38 said:

Très belle réalisation!
6 years ago ( translate )

Armando Taborda replied to Nouchetdu38:

Merci bien, Nouchet!
6 years ago ( translate )

Ulrich John said:

Wow ! An artwork !
6 years ago

Armando Taborda replied to Ulrich John:

Thanks too much, Ulrich!
6 years ago

Armando Taborda said:

Je te remercie le fave, Christine!
6 years ago ( translate )

cammino said:

An impressive poem!
6 years ago ( translate )

Armando Taborda replied to cammino:

Agree cammino!
6 years ago ( translate )

Armando Taborda said:

Thanks for fave, buonacoppi!
6 years ago ( translate )

Armando Taborda said:

Je te remercie le fave, Lebojo!
6 years ago ( translate )

Armando Taborda said:

Grato pelo favorito, P.R. Baptista!
6 years ago ( translate )

Armando Taborda said:

Thanks for fave, .t.a.o.n.!
6 years ago ( translate )

Armando Taborda said:

Thanks for fave, Steve Bucknell!
6 years ago ( translate )

Armando Taborda said:

Thanks for fave, goandgo!
6 years ago ( translate )

Armando Taborda said:

Thanks for fave, Lorenzo Salmonson!
6 years ago ( translate )

Armando Taborda said:

Je te remercie le fave, Laurence!
6 years ago ( translate )