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The Puerto Rican Literature Project The Puerto Rican Literature Project

For those who claim they love...I will fight (trans.)

Manuela García Oquendo

Translated from the Spanish by Roque Raquel Salas Rivera

2009

March 29, 2009

4:20 a.m.

 

I will speak now

And they will listen...

 

May they all

know 

now...

 

Cease... Cease...

your unrest, for

I will speak now

And they will listen...

 

Their fear led them to kill us.

Their fear drives them to crash

still, with their ""Truth"".

Yes... fear of what is different

of the dissimilar, fear

leading to wrath

and almost to our extinction.

 

I will speak now

And they will listen...

 

It is you who are unjust and false

who are unforgiving and randomly condemn

who crucified the very man you worshiped

today, it is you who cries ""holy week""

later, you make fun of those in need

the handicapped, the poor, the afflicted, she who works

and who, like me, loves a likeness.

 

I will speak now

And they will listen...

 

Their minds, are already without reason

they are slaves to their dogmas

that idiotize them more and more

making them more and more 

like their master…

who in the dark

of injustice rejoices

and is so similar to the ""devil""...

his bible describes.

 

But that god is so very real

that he holds the world's money 

in Switzerland, is the UBS Secret of ALLAH

Or not... Jehovah's forgiveness, I'm confused

they're the same, so similar, because they are unjust

because they are assholes and criminals.

Any resemblance

to Bush, Hitler, Mussolini

Fujimori, Trujillo, and Barack

is purely coincidental,

and I deny any connection.

If he exists... like them,

I'll have to kill him.

 

I will speak... Will they listen?...

 

Those who can't bear to see

a man love another man,

a woman love another woman

will have to kill me

for I'll continue to love

the man I am...

the man I will be...

the man I desire...

the man who was once...

my adverb, my pronoun

my love, my verb

the very essence of my being

that I will one day discover.

 

I spoke… Will they listen?...

Then, they'll have to kill me

for I will fight...

even with tears, for my life, my love

I WILL FIGHT…


 

Translators Note: The rhyme in García Oquendo's poem is primarily performative and often does not translate well on paper. I have, however, attempted to sustain it in the English translation. García Oquendo's frequent use of the ellipsis is more characteristic of poems in the earlier half of the 20th century and is reminiscent of modernismo and particularly Ruben Darío's Azul... I chose to keep both readings of ""mi vida"". which, depending on the poet's rendition, can be "my life" or the informal and intimate address "my love." Although "oír" means "hear" and not the more active "listen" ("escuchar"), the poem suggests the more colloquial use, which uses both interchangeably. For this reason, I chose "listen". which made more sense in this context. "Lucharé" refers to political struggle, such as to fight against an injustice. I trust the translation as a whole makes that clear. 

 

Rights: Manuela García Oquendo

Para aquellos que dicen amar...Lucharé

Manuela García Oquendo

2009


29 de marzo de 2009

4:20 a.m.

 

Hablaré ahora

Y me oirán…

 

Que lo sepan

todos y todas

ya…

 

Cesen… Cesen…

de alborotar, que

hablaré ahora

Y me oirán…

 

Su miedo los llevó a matarnos.

Su miedo los lleva a chocar

aún, con su “Verdad”.

Sí… miedo a lo diferente

a lo distinto, miedo

que conlleva a cólera

y por poco a extinguirnos.

 

Ahora hablaré

Y me oirán…

 

Los injustos y falsos son ustedes

los que no perdonan y condenan al azar

los que crucificaron al mismo que adoran

son hoy, los que lloran “santa semana”

después, se burlan del minusválido

del impedido, del pobre, del afligido, del que trabaja

y del que al igual que yo, ama a otro igual.

 

Pero ahora hablaré

Y me oirán…

 

Sus mentes, sin razón están ya

son esclavos de sus dogmas

que los idiotizan cada vez más

acercándose a su amo

están más y más, a su amo…

que en las tinieblas

de la injusticia se regocija

tan parecido a su “diablo” es…

al mismo que relata su biblia.

 

Pero ese dios es tan y tan real

que tiene el dinero del mundo

en Suiza, es el Secreto de UBS de ALÁ

O no… perdón de Jehová, me confundo

son iguales, tan parecidos, por injustos

por pendejos y criminales.

Cualquier semejanza

con Bush, Hitler, Mussolini

Fujimori, Trujillo y Barack

es pura coincidencia

que no estoy dispuesto a respaldar.

Si él existe… como ellos

entonces, lo tendré que matar.

 

Hablaré… ¿Me oirán?

 

Para aquellos y aquellas que no soportan ver

a un hombre amar a un hombre,

a una mujer amar a otra mujer

tendrán entonces que matarme

porque seguiré amando

al hombre que soy…

al hombre que seré…

al hombre que deseo…

al hombre que fue…

mi adverbio, mi pronombre

mi amor, mi verbo

esencia misma de mi ser

que algún día encontraré.

 

Hablé… ¿Me oirán?

Entonces, tendrán que matarme

porque lucharé…

aunque con lágrimas mi vida

LUCHARÉ…

Rights: Manuela García Oquendo