Saturday, September 17, 2011

 

The Ages of Man

Francisco de Quevedo (1580-1645), Sonnet 535 (tr. Willis Barnstone):
He Enumerates, with Proper Terms, the Mishaps and Miseries of Life

A life begins with tears and turds. Then come
the gurgles, mamas, and the bogeyman,
followed by smallpox, drivel, snot and scum,
then rattles, spinning tops, a noisy can.

Grown up he finds a girlfriend to seduce
with whom he gluts his crazy appetite.
As a young man he feels his words are trite
and every declaration a mere ruse.

As a real man he is a hopeless pest,
a bachelor chasing every hooker in
the street. Married he's cuckold in his nest.

As an old man he wrinkles, dries up, grays.
And when death comes, upturning all, he pays
for gurgles, girlfriends, and each groaning sin.



Pronuncia con sus nombres los trastos y miserias de la vida

La vida empieza en lágrimas y caca,
luego viene la mu, con mama y coco,
síguense las viruelas, baba y moco,
y luego llega el trompo y la matraca.

En creciendo, la amiga y la sonsaca,
con ella embiste el apetito loco,
en subiendo a mancebo, todo es poco,
y después la intención peca en bellaca.

Llega a ser hombre y todo lo trabuca;
soltero sigue toda perendeca;
casada, se convierte en mala cuca.

Viejo, encanece, arrúgase y se seca,
llega la muerte y todo lo bazuca,
y lo que deja paga, y lo que peca.
José Guadalupe Posada (1852–1913), Dancing Skeletons

More on this theme.



<< Home
Newer›  ‹Older

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?