Infinito
De porta em porta– Quem? O infinito?
Diz-lhe que entre.
Faz bem ao infinito
estar entre gente.
– Uma esmola? Coxeia?
Ao que ele chegou!
Podes dar-lhe a bengala
que era do avô.
– Dinheiro? Isso não!
Já sei, pobrezinho,
que em vez de pão
ia comprar vinho . . .
– Teima? Que topete!
Quem se julga ele
se um tigre acabou
nesta sala em tapete?
– Para ir ver a mãe?
Essa é muito forte!
Ele não tem mãe
e não é do Norte . . .
– Vítima de quê?
O dito está dito.
Se não tinha estofo
quem o mandou ser
infinito?
Alexandre O'Neill - "Poesias Completas"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Door to Door
– Who? The infinite?
Tell him to come in!
It’s good for infinity
to be in human company.
– Our help? He hobbles?
If the fellow is lame,
give him what used to be
Grandfather’s cane.
– He wants money? No way!
I know the poor swine
wouldn’t use it for bread
but for a bottle of wine.
– He insists? Who on earth
does he take himself for,
when a tiger ended up
as the rug on our floor?
– To go and see his mother?
Now I’ve heard it all.
He’s not from up north,
and his mother’s long gone.
– A victim of what?
Life is tough.
How can he be infinite
if he’s not made of hard
stuff?
Alexandre O'Neill - "Poesias Completas"
– Who? The infinite?
Tell him to come in!
It’s good for infinity
to be in human company.
– Our help? He hobbles?
If the fellow is lame,
give him what used to be
Grandfather’s cane.
– He wants money? No way!
I know the poor swine
wouldn’t use it for bread
but for a bottle of wine.
– He insists? Who on earth
does he take himself for,
when a tiger ended up
as the rug on our floor?
– To go and see his mother?
Now I’ve heard it all.
He’s not from up north,
and his mother’s long gone.
– A victim of what?
Life is tough.
How can he be infinite
if he’s not made of hard
stuff?
Alexandre O'Neill - "Poesias Completas"
(translated by Richard Zenith - 1997)
