Dos Cuerpos

Dos Cuerpos – Octavio Paz

Dos cuerpos frente a frente

son a veces dos olas

y la noche es océano.

 

Dos cuerpos frente a frente

son a veces dos piedras

y la noche desierto.

 

Dos cuerpos frente a frente

son a veces raíces

en la noche enlazadas.

 

Dos cuerpos frente a frente

son a veces navajas

y la noche relámpago.

 

Dos cuerpos frente a frente

son dos astros que caen

en un cielo vacío.

 

Translation 1:

Two bodies face to face

are sometimes two waves

and the night is ocean.

 

Two bodies face to face

are sometimes two rocks

and the night desert.

 

Two bodies face to face

are sometimes roots

in the night linked.

 

Two bodies face to face

are sometimes razors

and the night lightning.

 

Two bodies face to face

are two stars that fall

in a sky empty.

• This is the literal translation of the poem, in Spanish while some adjectives come before the noun, the majority come after. Since this is the literal translation, I haven’t switched the adjective and the noun around to get the “intended” meaning, instead just stuck to the order that it was written in

Translation 2:

Two bodies face to face

are at times two waves

and the night is ocean.

 

Two bodies face to face

are at times two stones

and the night deserted.

 

Two bodies face to face

are at times roots

bound in the night.

 

Two bodies face to face

are at times knives

and the night flashing .

 

Two bodies face to face

are two stars that fall

in an empty sky.

• This translation is my version of the poem. I’ve substituted “sometimes” with “at times” as “a veces” can be translated as both, but I felt as though latter fits the vibe of the poem better. I also did this with a few other words, such as choosing a different translation for “piedras”, “desierto”, “enlazadas” and “relámpago”.