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At Peace by Amado Nervo (En Paz)

Analysis

This poem is a translation of "En Paz". Although it literally means "In Peace", the translation makes more sense as "At Peace", because the author is at peace with himself and his own life. The translation of the poem doesn't fully utilize the author's mechanicisms. Nervo wrote the original with a rhyme scheme of AAABBCCCDDEEEFF. Of course, it is too difficult to translate rhymed words into another language and keep the poem in tact. However, this translation of 'At Peace' is done quite well.

Beneath the English translation, you'll find the original Spanish version.

Poem

At Peace
By Amado Nervo

(Creator of himself, of his destiny.)

Very near my sunset, I bless you, Life
because you never gave me neither unfilled hope
nor unfair work, nor undeserved sorrow.

Because I see at the end of my rough way
that I was the architect of my own destiny
and if I extracted the sweetness or the bitterness of things
it was because I put the sweetness or the bitterness in them
when I planted rose bushes I always harvested roses

Certainly, winter is going to follow my youth
But you didn’t tell me that May was eternal
I found without a doubt long my nights of pain
But you didn’t promise me only good nights
And in exchange I had some peaceful ones

I loved, I was loved, the sun caressed my face

Life, you owe me nothing, Life, we are at peace!

Written on March 20, 1915.

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Poem

En Paz
Poema por Amado Nervo

Artifex vitae artifex sui


Muy cerca de mi ocaso, yo te bendigo, Vida,
porque nunca me diste ni esperanza fallida,
ni trabajos injustos, ni pena inmerecida;

Porque veo al final de mi rudo camino
que yo fui el arquitecto de mi propio destino;
que si extraje la mieles o la hiel de las cosas,
fue porque en ellas puse hiel o mieles sabrosas:
cuando planté rosales coseché siempre rosas.

...Cierto, a mis lozanías va a seguir el invierno:
¡mas tú no me dijiste que mayo fuese eterno!

Hallé sin duda largas las noches de mis penas;
mas no me prometiste tan sólo noches buenas;
y en cambio tuve algunas santamente serenas...

Amé, fui amado, el sol acarició mi faz.
¡Vida, nada me debes! ¡Vida, estamos en paz!

Escrito el 20 de marzo 1915.

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Next: Family Love

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