Al bosc de la meva son

Al bosc de la meva son
Anàvem. De mi no resta,
En ser-hi, sinó el record.
Caçades al llaç, vergonya!
Mes falles totes hi són.
Jo em veia com la regina
Inútil sense la cort.
M’ajeia contra la terra,
Batuda i sense perdó;
Els ulls miraven, miraven
Tanta fullaraca d’or;
Els ulls miraven i veien
Ran de terra viure un món.
El pigot, per si calia,
M’esvera amb el seu renou
I amb el seu vol se m’enduia
Al bosc de la meva son.

© Estate of Carles Riba and Clementina Arderiu
From: "Cant i paraules" in "Poemes"
Sabadell: La Mirada, 1936
Audio production: Library of Congress, Washington

The Forest of My Dreams

Here we are in the forest

of my dreams. There’s nothing

of me here except memories.

Trapped in the snare—for shame!—

all my faults are here.

I have seen myself as

the useless queen of an empty court.

I press myself against the earth

beaten and unforgiven.

My eyes see, they see

so many dead golden leaves.

My eyes see, they see

whole worlds down here.

It takes a woodpecker´s drumming

to startle me awake

and its flight carries me away

from the forest of my dreams.

Translated from Catalan by Clyde Moneyhun