Tuesday, 1 September 2015

Untitled Poem by José Thiesen (in Portuguese)

Mantenho-te sempre
Adiante de mim,
Radiante, como quando te vi primeiro,
Cálice de rubro amor
Onde se afoga meu
Silente canto dum afeto que não te fala.

Pária sou dos teus afetos,
Asco te causa meu toque,
Última dor de minha vida.
Longe de ti, fora de ti,
Onde estou é a sombra dum mundo.

Amanhã vou seguir triste
Num mundo de só tristeza e crises sombras
Sem ti, tenho que buscar a luz nas trevas.
E aí estás tu, feliz com teu amor.
Lacuna que dói, és um gáudio mortal, insuportável,
Mas que me força a olhar para longe, pra fora de mim,
Onde me encontro.

"The Ass, the Cock, and the Lion" by Aesop (translated into English)



       An Ass and a Cock were in a straw-yard together when a Lion, desperate from hunger, approached the spot. He was about to spring upon the Ass, when the Cock (to the sound of whose voice the Lion, it is said, has a singular aversion) crowed loudly, and the Lion fled away as fast as he could. The Ass, observing his trepidation at the mere crowing of a Cock summoned courage to attack him, and galloped after him for that purpose. He had run no long distance, when the Lion, turning about, seized him and tore him to pieces.

         False confidence often leads into danger.

Saturday, 29 August 2015

Sonnet by Alphonsus de Guimaraens (in Portuguese)

Hão de chorar por ela os cinamomos,
Murchando as flores ao tombar do dia.
Dos laranjais hão de cair os pomos,
Lembrando-se daquela que os colhia.

As estrelas dirão - "Ai! nada somos,
Pois ela se morreu silente e fria..."
E pondo os olhos nela como pomos,
Hão de chorar a irmã que lhes sorria.

A lua, que lhe foi mãe carinhosa,
Que a viu nascer e amar, há de envolvê-la
Entre lírios e pétalas de rosa.

Os meus sonhos de amor serão defuntos...
E os arcanjos dirão no azul ao vê-la,
Pensando em mim: - "Por que não vieram juntos?"

Friday, 28 August 2015

“E Tenebris” by Oscar Wilde (in English)



Come down, O Christ, and help me! reach thy hand,
For I am drowning in a stormier sea
Than Simon on thy lake of Galilee:
The wine of life is spilt upon the sand,
My heart is as some famine-murdered land,
Whence all good things have perished utterly,
And well I know my soul in Hell must lie
If I this night before God's throne should stand.
'He sleeps perchance, or rideth to the chase,
Like Baal, when his prophets howled that name
From morn to noon on Carmel's smitten height.'
Nay, peace, I shall behold before the night,
The feet of brass, the robe more white than flame,
The wounded hands, the weary human face.

Thursday, 27 August 2015

“The Travelling Companion” by Lord Alfred Douglas (in English)

Into the silence of the empty night
I went, and took my scorned heart with me,
And all the thousand eyes of heaven were bright;
But Sorrow came and led me back to thee.

I turned my weary eyes towards the sun,
Out of the leaden East like smoke came he.
I laughed and said, ' The night is past and done ' ;
But sorrow came and led me back to thee.

I turned my face towards the rising moon,
Out of the south she came most sweet to see,
She smiled upon my eyes that loathed the noon ;
But sorrow came and led me back to thee.

I bent my eyes upon the summer land,
And all the painted fields were ripe for me,
And every flower nodded to my hand ;
But Sorrow came and led me back to thee.

O Love ! O Sorrow ! O desired Despair !
I turn my feet towards the boundless sea,
Into the dark I go and heed not where,
So that I come again at last to thee.

Wednesday, 26 August 2015

"The Book of Exodus" - Chapter V (translated into English)



Chapter 5

     1 After that, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Let my people go, that they may celebrate a feast to me in the desert." 2 Pharaoh answered, "Who is the LORD, that I should heed his plea to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD; even if I did, I would not let Israel go." 3 They replied, "The God of the Hebrews has sent us word. Let us go a three days' journey in the desert, that we may offer sacrifice to the LORD, our God; otherwise he will punish us with pestilence or the sword." 4 The king of Egypt answered them, "What do you mean, Moses and Aaron, by taking the people away from their work? Off to your labor! 5 Look how numerous the people of the land are already," continued Pharaoh, "and yet you would give them rest from their labor!"
     6 That very day Pharaoh gave the taskmasters and foremen of the people this order: 7 2 "You shall no longer supply the people with straw for their brickmaking as you have previously done. Let them go and gather straw themselves! 8 Yet you shall levy upon them the same quota of bricks as they have previously made. Do not reduce it. They are lazy; that is why they are crying, 'Let us go to offer sacrifice to our God.' 9 Increase the work for the men, so that they keep their mind on it and pay no attention to lying words."
     10 So the taskmasters and foremen of the people went out and told them, "Thus says Pharaoh: I will not provide you with straw. 11 Go and gather the straw yourselves, wherever you can find it. Yet there must not be the slightest reduction in your work." 12 The people, then, scattered throughout the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw, 13 while the taskmasters kept driving them on, saying, "Finish your work, the same daily amount as when your straw was supplied." 14 The foremen of the Israelites, whom the taskmasters of Pharaoh had placed over them, were beaten, and were asked, "Why have you not completed your prescribed amount of bricks yesterday and today, as before?"
     15 Then the Israelite foremen came and made this appeal to Pharaoh: "Why do you treat your servants in this manner? 16 No straw is supplied to your servants, and still we are told to make bricks. Look how your servants are beaten! It is you who are at fault."
     17 Pharaoh answered, "It is just because you are lazy that you keep saying, 'Let us go and offer sacrifice to the LORD.' 18 Off to work, then! Straw shall not be provided for you, but you must still deliver your quota of bricks."
      19 The Israelite foremen knew they were in a sorry plight, having been told not to reduce the daily amount of bricks. 20 When, therefore, they left Pharaoh and came upon Moses and Aaron, who were waiting to meet them, 21 they said to them, "The LORD look upon you and judge! You have brought us into bad odor with Pharaoh and his servants and have put a sword in their hands to slay us." 22 Moses again had recourse to the LORD and said, "Lord, why do you treat this people so badly? And why did you send me on such a mission? 23 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has maltreated this people of yours, and you have done nothing to rescue them."