Oda al alcachofa
From HISP305
| La alcachofa | The artichoke | ||
| de tierno corazón | with such a tender heart | of delicate heart | of tender heart |
| se vistió de guerrero, | dressed like a warrior | its battle dress, builds | got dressed up like a warrior |
| erecta, construyó | tall and built | ||
| una pequeña cúpula, | a little cupola | its minimal cupola | |
| se mantuvo | is maintained | keeps | |
| impermeable | waterproof | stark | |
| bajo | short | ||
| sus escamas, | its scales | in its scallop of scales | |
| a su lado | on its side | around it | |
| los vegetales locos | the crazy vegetables | demonaic vegetables | |
| se encresparon, | were angered | bristle | |
| se hicieron | they made | they devise | |
| zarcillos, espadañas, | earrings, cattails | tendrils and belfries | |
| bulbos conmovedores, | bulbs in motion | the bulb's agitations | |
| en el subsuelo | in the subsoil | ||
| durmió la zanahoria | the carrot slept | ||
| de bigotes rojos, | with a red mustache | with its rusty moustaches | |
| la viña | the vineyard | ||
| resecó los sarmientos | the vines dried out | the vines bleach in the vineyards | |
| por donde sube el vino, | where the wine grows | whereon rise the vines | |
| la col | the cabbage | the sedulous cabbage | |
| se dedicó | is dedicated | ||
| a probarse faldas, | to trying on skirts | ||
| el orégano | the oregano | ||
| a perfumar el mundo, | to perfuming the world | ||
| y la dulce | and the sweet | ||
| alcachofa | artichoke | ||
| allí en el huerto, | here in the orchard | there in the gardenplot | |
| vestida de guerrero, | dressed like a warrior | armed for skirmish | |
| bruñida | polished | ||
| como una granada, | like a pomegranate | in its pomegranate burnishes | |
| orgullosa, | proud | ||
| y un día | and one day | ||
| una con otra | one with another | each by the other | |
| en grandes cestos | in large baskets | ||
| de mimbre, caminó | of wicker, walking | ||
| por el mercado | through the market | ||
| a realizar su sueño: | to reach their dream: | ||
| la milicia. | the militia | battle formation | |
| En hileras | in rows | ||
| nunca fue tan marcial | was never so war-like | ||
| como en la feria, | like at the fair | as in the market | |
| los hombres | the men | ||
| entre las legumbres | among the vegetables | ||
| con sus camisas | with their shirts | ||
| eran | were | ||
| mariscales | generals | field marshals | |
| de las alcachofas, | of the artichokes | ||
| las filas apretadas, | the straight rows | ||
| las voces de comando, | the commanding voices | ||
| y la detonación | and the detonation | ||
| de una caja que cae, | of a box that fell | of crashing crate staves | |
| pero | but | and | |
| entonces | then | ||
| viene | comes | ||
| María | Maria | ||
| con su cesto, | with her basket | ||
| escoge | she choses | ||
| una alcachofa, | an artichoke | ||
| no le teme, | she doesn't fear him | never flinching | |
| la examina, la observa | she examines it, she observes it | she reflects | |
| contra la luz como si fuera un huevo, | against the light as if it were an egg | ||
| la compra, | she buys it | ||
| la confunde | she loses it | ||
| en su bolsa | in her bag | ||
| con un par de zapatos, | with a pair of shoes | ||
| con un repollo y una | with a cabbage and a | ||
| botella | bottle | ||
| de vinagre | of vinegar | ||
| hasta | until | ||
| que entrando a la cocina | entering the kitchen | ||
| la sumerge en la olla. | she submerges it in the pot | the artichoke drowns in a pot | |
| Así termina | So it finishes | There you have it | |
| en paz | in peace | ||
| esta carrera | this career | ||
| del vegetal armado | of the armed vegetable | ||
| que se llama alcachofa, | called an artichoke | ||
| luego | later | ||
| escama por escama | scale by scale | ||
| desvestimos | we undress | we dismember | |
| la delicia | the delight | ||
| y comemos | and we eat | ||
| la pacífica pasta | the peaceful paste | we eat of a halycon paste | |
| de su corazón verde. | of its green heart. | it is green at the artichoke heart |
