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Wednesday, February 23, 2011

“La canción del bongó-Song of the Bongo Drum” by Nicolás Guillén

From a really interesting paper by Monika Kaup :"Our America" That Is Not One: Transnational Black Atlantic Disclosures in Nicolás Guillén and Langston Hughes.

La canción del bongó-Song of the Bongo Drum”, from Sóngoro consongo by  Nicolás Guillén

Esta es la canci´on del bong´o:
–Aqu´ı el que m´as fino sea,
responde, si llamo yo.
Unos dicen: Ahora mismo,
otros dicen: All´a voy.
Pero mi repique bronco,
pero mi profunda voz,
convoca al negro y al blanco,
que bailen el mismo son,
cueripardos y almiprietos
m´as de sangre que de sol,
pues quien por fuera no es noche,
por dentro ya oscureci´o.
Aqu´ı el que m´as fino sea,
responde, si llamo yo.
(Obra po´etica 104)

This is the song of the bong´o:
Here even blueblood
answers if I call.
Some answer, “Right now!”
Others say, “On my way!”
But my hoarse rejoinder,
deep bass voice,
calls both black and white
to dance the same son.
Brown of skin or brown of soul
more from blood than sun,
those who are not night outside
get darker deep within.
Here even blueblood
answers if I call.

(trans. Hughes and Carruthers, Cuba Libre 81)

Same Moonlight for our Dreams

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