CÉSAR VALLEJO César Vallejo in the summer of 1929 CÉSAR VALLEJO The Complete Posthumous Poetry Translated by Clayton Eshleman & José Rubia Barcia X X X UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS Berkeley Los Angeles London University of Califomia Press Berkeley and Los Angeles, California University of Califomia Press, Ltd. London, England ISBN 0-520-03648-4 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 77-93472 Copyright @ 1978 by The Regents of the University of California Designed by Bob Cato Printed in the United Ctates of America Dedicated to Maureen Ahern and Juan Larrea, for their tremendous dedication to Vallejo. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Come of these translations, in semifinal drafts, have appeared in: Text, Boundary 2, River Styx, Impact, Bezoar, Ecuatorial, and Pequod. Several of the poems translated in the Notes section, plus the entire Appendix, was published by The Black Sparrow Press as "Sparrow #65." "Paris, October 1936" was published by The Bellevue Press as a broadside. Eight of the translations appeared in a special issue of Oasis (London), #19, on Clayton Eshleman's poetry and translations. Severa1 of the final drafts first appeared in Eshleman's essay, "Vallejo, 1978," published in Montemora #4. INDICE NÓMINA DE HUESOS (1923-1936) Nómina de huesos / 2 La violencia de las horas / 4 El buen sentido / 6 El momento más grave de la vida / 8 "Las ventanas se han estremecido . ." / 10 Voy a hablar de la esperanza / 16 "Tendríamos ya una edad misericordiosa . ." / 18 Hallazgo de la vida / 20 "Una mujer de senos apacibles . ." / 22 "Cesa el anhelo, rabo al aire." / 24 "-No vive ya nadie en la casa . ." 126 "Existe un mutilado . ." / 28 Me estoy riendo / 30 "He aquí que hoy saludo . ." / 32 Lomo de las sagradas escrituras / 34 altura y pelos / 36 "iCuatr0 conciencias . .!" / 38 "Entre el dolor y el placer . ." / 40 "En el momento en que el tenista . ." / 42 sombrero, abrigo, guantes / 44 CONTENTS Introduction / xix PAYROLL OF BONES (1923-1936) Payroll of bones / 3 Violence of the hours / 5 Good sense / 7 The gravest moment in life / 9 "The windows shuddered . ."/ 13 1 am going to speak of hope / 17 "We probably already were of a compassionate age . ." 119 Discovery of life / 21 "A woman with peaceful breasts . ." / 23 "Longing ceases, ass in the air." / 25 "-No one lives in the house anymore . ." / 27 "There is a man mutilated . ." / 29 1 am laughing / 31 "Behold that today 1 salute . ." / 33 Spine of the scriptures / 35 heiaht and hair / 37 "Four consciousnesses . ." / 39 "Between pain and pleasure . ."/ 41 "The moment the tennis player . ." / 43 hat, overcoat, gloves / 45 x / INDICE salutación angélica / 46 epístola a los transeúntes / 48 "Y no me digan nada . ." / 50 GLEBA / 52 PRIMAVERA TLJBEROSA / 54 Piedra negra sobre una piedra blanca / 56 "¡Dulzura por dulzura corazona!" / 58 "Hasta el día en que vuelva . ." / 60 "Fué domingo en las claras orejas . ." / 62 "La vida, esta vida . ." 1 64 "Hoy me gusta la vida mucho menos . ." / 66 "Quisiera hoy ser feliz . ." / 68 "De disturbio en disturbio . ." / 70 "Considerando en frío . ." / 72 "¡Y si después de tantas palabras . !" / 74 "Por último, sin ese buen aroma . ." / 76 "Parado en una piedra . ." / 78 "Los mineros salieron de la mina . ." / 82 "Pero antes que se acabe . ." / 84 Telúrica v magnética / 86 Piensan los viejos asnos 190 SERMÓN DE LA BARBARIE (1936-1937) París, Octubre 1936 194 La rueda del hambriento / 96 CONTENTS 1 xi anaelic salutation / 47 e~istleto the transients / 49 "And don't say another word to me . ." / 51 GLEBE / 53 TUBEROUS SPRING / 55 ..................................Black stone on a white stone / 57 "Sweetness through heartsown sweetness!" / 59 "Until the day 1 will return . ." / 61 "It was Sunday in the clear ears . ." / 63 "Life, this life . ." 165 "Today 1 like life much less . ." / 67 "Today 1 would like to be happy . ." / 69 "From disturbance to disturbance . ." 171 "Considering coldly . ." / 73 "And if after so many words . ." / 75 "Finally, without that good continuous . ." / 77 "Idle on a stone . ." / 79 "The miners came out of the mine . ." / 83 "But before al1 this . ." / 85 Telluric and magnetic / 87 Old asses thinking -/ 91 SERMON ON BARBARISM (1936-1938) Paris, October 1936 / 95 The hungry man's wheel / 97 "Calor, cansado voy . ."1 98 "Un pilar soportando consuelos . ." / 100 "Al cavilar en la vida . ." / 102 Poema vara ser leído v cantado / 104 "El acento me pende . ." / 106 "La punta del hombre . ." / 108 "iOh botella sin vino!" / 110 "Va corriendo, andando . ." / 112 "Al fin, un monte . ." / 114 "Quiere y no quiere su color . ." / 116 "Esto / sucedió entre dos . ." / 118 "Quedeme a calentar la tinta . ." / 120 "La paz, la abispa, el taco . ." / 122 "Transido, salomónico, decente . ." / 124 "¿Y bien? ¿Te sana el metaloide pálido?" / 126 "¡De puro calor, tengo frío . !" / 128 "Confianza en el anteojo, nó en el ojo . ." / 130 "¿Hablando de la leña, callo el fuego?" / 132 "Escarnecido, aclimatado al bien . ." / 134 "Alfonso: estás mirándome, lo veo . ." / 136 Traspié entre dos estrellas / 140 Despedida recordando un adiós / 144 "A lo mejor, soy otro . ." / 146 El libro de la naturaleza / 148 "Tengo un miedo terrible de ser . ." / 150 Marcha Nupcial / 152 "La cólera que quiebra al hombre . ." / 154 CONTENTS / xiii "Heat, tired 1 go . ." / 99 "One pillar holding up consolations . ." / 101 "Upon refiecting on life . ." / 103 Poem to be read and sung / 105 "The accent dangles . ." / 107 "The tip of man . ." / 109 "Oh bottIe without wine!" / 111 "He is running, walking . ."/ 113 "At last, a hill . ." 1 115 "My chest wants and does not want . ." 1117 "This / happened behveen two . ." 1119 "1 stayed on to warm up the ink . ." / 121 "The peace, the whasp, the shoe heel . ." / 123 "Overcome, solomonic, decent . ." / 125 "Well? Does the pallid metalloid heal you?" / 127 "It is so hot, 1 feel cold . ." 1 129 "Confidence in the eyeglass, not in the eye . ." / 131 "Speaking of kindling, do 1 cilence fire?" 1133 "Mocked, acclimated to goodness . ." / 135 "Alfonso: you keep looking at me, 1 see . ." 1137 Stumble between two stars / 141 Farewell remembering a goodbye 1 145 "Chances are, I'm another . ." / 147 The book of nature 1 149 "1 have a terrible fear of being . ." / 151 Wedding March / 153 "The anger that breaks the man . ." / 155 xiv / INDICE Intensidad y altura / 156 Guitarra / 158 "Oye a tu masa, a tu cometa . ." / 160 "¿Qué me da, que me azoto . .?" / 162 Aniversario / 164 Panteón / 166 "Un hombre está mirando a una mujer . ." / 168 Dos niños anhelantes / 170 Los nueve monstruos / 172 "Un hombre pasa con un pan . ." / 176 "Me viene, hay días, una gana . ."/ 178 "Hoy le ha entrado una astilla . ." / 182 Palmas y guitarra / 184 El alma aue sufrió de ser su cuerno 1186 Yuntas 1188 "Acaba de pasar el que vendrá . ." / 190 "¡Ande desnudo, en pelo . !" / 192 "Viniere el malo, con un trono . ." / 196 "Al revés de las aves del monte . ." / 198 "Ello es que el lugar donde . ." / 202 "Algo te identifica . ." / 206 ''En suma, no poseo para expresar . ." / 208 "Otro poco de calma, camarada . ." 1210 Los desgraciados / 214 .............................Sermón sobre la muerte / 218 Intensity and height / 157 Guitar 1159 "Hear your mass, your comet . ." / 161 "What's got into me, that 1 am whipping myself . ." / 163 Anniversary / 165 Pantheon / 167 "A man is looking at a woman . ." 1169 Two yeaming children / 171 The nine monsters 1 173 "A man walks by with a stick of bread . ." 1177 "For severa1 days, 1 have felt an exuberant . ." / 179 "Today a splinter has gotten into her . ." / 183 Clapping and guitar / 185 The soul that suffered from being its body / 187 "He has just passed by, the one who will come . ." / 191 "Let the millionaire go naked . ." / 193 "That the evil man might come, with a throne . ." 1197 "Contrary to the mountain birds . ." / 199 "The fact is that the place where . ." / 203 "Something identifies you . ." / 207 "In short, 1 have nothing with which to express . ." / 209 "A little more calm, comrade . ." / 211 The miserable / 215 Sermon on death / 219 xvi / INDICE ESPANA, APARTA DE MÍ ESTE CÁLIZ (1937-1938) HIMNO................................................................ A LOS VOLUNTARIOS DE LA REPÚBLICA / 222 BATALLAS / 11 / 230 VI / Cortejo tras la toma de Bilbao 1248 VI1 / 250 IX / Pequeño responso a un héroe de la República / 254 X / Invierno en la batalla de Teme1 / 256 XII / Masa / 260 XIII / Redoble fúnebre a los escombros de Durango 1262 XIV / 264 XV / España, aparta de mí este cáliz / 266 CONTENTS / xvii SPAIN, TAKE THIS CUP FROM ME (1937-1938) ................................................................HYMN TO THE VOLUNTEERS FOR THE REPUBLIC / 223 BATTLES / 11 / 231 111 / 239 VI / Cortege after the capture of Bilbao / 249 VIII / 253 IX / Short prayer for a Loyalist hero / 255 X / Winter durin~the battle for Teruel / 257 XII / Mass / 261 XIII / Funereal drumroll for the mins of Durango / 263 XIV / 265 XV / Spain, take this cup from me / 267 Facsirniles of Vallejo's Worksheets / 272 Appendix: BATTLES IN SPAIN / 280 Notes / 288 INTRODUCTION According to most recent scholarship, César Vallejo appears to have wntten five books of poetry. The first two, Los heraldos negros (1918) and Trilce (1922), were published in Peru during his lifetime. The latter three first appeared in 1939, the year after the poet's death, in an edition of two hundred and fifty copies edited by the poet's widow and her friend, the historian Raúl Porra Barrenechea. PubIished in Paris by Georgette Vallejo herself, the first edition of the posthumous poetry bore the title Poemas humanos, and contained 108 poems, approximately half of which were dated in the fa11 of 1937 and half of which were not dated. The collection seemed to be without any conscious order, except for the last fifteen poems under the title Espalia, aparta de mí este cáliz. It is now known that Vallejo worked feverishly on his poetry during the last months of his life, but was able only to complete a final draft of the complete text of España, aparta de mí este cáliz, a copy of which was sent to Spain for publication.