“Love’s Body”
From Contra Natura
By Rodolfo Hinostroza
Translated by Anthony Seidman

 

 

 

 

 

Contra Natura is forthcoming from Cardboard House Press on February 22, 2022!

 

 

 

 

 

Love’s Body

 

A body destroys the blind autonomy
0000000000000000000000000de’un autre corp
0000000000000000000000000000000000000it abandons
your body like the river to the sea
the art of seeing the world and living it
resides in the encounter
000000000000000000no fear of death
000000000000000000000000000000oh abolition
the return of the mystical couple
00000000000000000000000you were never one body
you were 2 before being born
000000000000from thence you saw the stations of the eclipse
one single body = terror of death
000000000000000000000000beloved half dearest half
2 orient themselves towards the magnetic center of the Universe
00000000000000000000000000000000000000of Leibniz
they perceive in ecstasy the end of the era
00000000000000000000000in which death reigns over
beauty & life.

 

II

 

& the scream continues and the terror of being only one body
000000000000000000000000000000no world springing forth
no perfect love perfect harmony
000000000000000000000000liberty in exchange
000000000000000000privation is infinite dix. Stagira
endless search for what was lost
000000000000000000chucked into Time that fills itself
with incoherent things anguished flowage
000000000000000000but derrière la fin de la conscience
there’s a place of peace greater than peace
000000000000000000the lake of the homecoming
0000000000000there began the light
0000000000000000legends myths emissions
which create and propose another life.

 

 

III

 

Cathars = pure
0000000& the world was a prison
the solitude of the body, the powerful
000000000000000000au bout de l’angoisse
among the need for destruction
000000000000000000000000crazy
shattered from the four sides
000000000000000000no way for the object no way for love
& someone adopted the fetal position
000000000000000000squatting arms crossed
hands half-closed
0000000powerful veil warm placenta between him and the others
distant thrum of the stars revolving
0000000imperfectly conjuring the superhuman terror
0000000000000catatonic
000000000000000000pure
0000000000000obscure poetry not ascent the opacity
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000but
the bitter love’s mistery.

 

 

IV

 

& thus the reverse of opacity
000000000000000000it both resembles and differs from
the sweet love’s mistery
000000000000000000the couple in their bed
celebrating Vatsyayana
000000it was not love for one’s body nor for another’s
bliss exchanged
bite yum flesh of apple yum mouth another mouth
duality against death
000000000000000000mystical homecoming
a sole body in two divine duality
000000000000000000000000the perfect couple
space responds to the movements
0000000they create waves towards Pegasus & The Phoenix
0000000Thou art & Thou art.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love’s Body

 

Un cuerpo destruye la autonomía ciega
000000000000000000000000d’un autre corp
000000000000000000000000000000000000abandona
tu cuerpo como el río a la mar
el arte de ver el mundo y vivirlo
reside en el encuentro
000000000000000000no temor a la muerte
oh abolición
el retorno a la pareja mística
000000000000000000no fuiste un solo cuerpo
eras 2 antes de nacer
000000000000desde ahí veías la ronda del eclipse
un solo cuerpo = el terror a la muerte
000000000000000000000000cara mitad querida mitad
2 se orientan hacia el centro magnético del universo
00000000000000000000000000000000000Leibniz
perciben en éxtasis el fin de la era
000000000000000000donde la muerte reina sobre
la belleza & la vida.

 

 

II

 

& se sigue el grito y el terror de ser un solo cuerpo
000000000000000000000000000000no mundo manante
no perfecto amor perfecta armonía
000000000000000000000000000libertad en el cambio
000000000000000000infinito es privación dix. Estagirita
infinita búsqueda de lo que se perdió
000000000000000000arrojados al Tiempo que se llena
cosas incoherentes fluencia angustiosa
000000000000000000but derrière la fin de la conscience
hay un lugar de paz más que paz
000000000000000000laguna del retorno
0000000000000there began the light
00000000000000000leyendas mitos emisiones
que crean y proponen otra vida.

 

 

III

 

Cátaros = puro
0000000& el mundo era una cárcel
la soledad del cuerpo, la poderosa
000000000000000000000000au bout de l’angoisse
entre la necesidad del aniquilamiento
0000000000000000000000000000000crazy
reventado por los cuatro costados
000000000000000000nada pudo el objeto nada el amor
& alguien adopta la posición fetal
000000000000000000de cuclillas los antebrazos pegados
las manos entrecerradas
0000000poderoso velo tibia placenta entre él y los otros
rumores de los astros girando
0000000conjurando imperfectamente el terror sobrehumano
00000000000000catatónico
0000000000000000000000000puro
00000000000000la oscura poesía no ascenso la opacidad
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000but
the bitter love’s mistery.

 

 

IV

 

& así el reverso de la opacidad
000000000000000000se le asemeja y difiere
the sweet love’s mistery
000000000000000000la pareja en el lecho
elogio a Vatsyayana
0000000no era el amor al propio cuerpo no al ajeno
intercambio dicha
muerde yum pasta de manzana yum boca otra boca
Bínada contra la muerte
000000000000000000místico retorno
un solo cuerpo en dos divina dualidad
000000000000000000000000000000la pareja perfecta
el espacio responde a sus movimientos
0000000000000crean ondas hacia Pegaso & El Fénix
0000000000000Thou art & Thou art.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rodolfo Hinostroza (Peru, 1941-2016) is one of Latin America’s most celebrated poets from the 20th century. His poetry is noted for its vast sweep which includes astronomy, history, counterculture, alchemy, politics, all rendered in erudite, yet lyrical open sequences. He is recognized as a bridge between Vallejo and contemporary poets from Peru. His most acclaimed collection of poetry, Contra natura (1971), made an impression as indelible as Vallejo’s Trilce, and it won the Maldoror prize in 1970 with none other than Octavio Paz as presiding judge. Other publications by Hinostroza include Consejero del lobo (1964), the novel Fata morgana (1994), and the play Apocalipsis de una noche de verano (1988). He was awarded a Guggenheim in 2009 and Peru’s Premio Nacional de Cultura in 2013 for his life’s work. At the time of his death in 2016, he was revered by younger poets and was a central figure in the literary life of Lima.

 

Anthony Seidman is a poet and translator from Los Angeles. His translations include the novel For Love of the Dollar by J.M. Servin, and A Stab in the Dark by Facundo Bernal. Seidman’s most recent collections of poetry are Cosmic Weather and A Sleepless Man Sits Up In Bed. His poetry, translations, reviews, and short fiction have appeared in such journals and anthologies as New American Writing, Poetry International, World Literature Today, The Bitter Oleander, Modern Poetry in Translation, Ambit, and The Ecopoetry Anthology. Some of his poetry has been translated into French and Spanish, with versions appearing in literary magazines from Mexico, Chile, France, and Argentina.

 

Poesía en acción is an Action Books blog feature for Latin American and Spanish poetry in translation and the translator micro-interview series. It was created by Katherine M. Hedeen and is currently curated and edited by Olivia Lott with web editing by Paul Cunningham.