Translated from Portuguese by Bernardo Villela
Translator’s Note:
“Sonnet XIII” by Olavo Bilac was originally published in 1888 is one of the best known and highly regarded poetical works in the Portuguese language. Olavo Bilac (December 16, 1865 – December 28, 1918) was a Brazilian Parnassian poet, journalist and translator. Alongside Alberto de Oliveira and Raimundo Correia, he was a member of the “Parnassian Triad”. He was elected the “Prince of Brazilian Poets” in 1907 by the magazine Fon-Fon. He founded and occupied the 15th chair of the Brazilian Academy of Letters from 1897 until his death in 1918.
Original Text:
"Ora (direis) ouvir estrelas! Certo
Perdeste o senso!" E eu vos direi, no entanto,
Que, para ouvi-las, muitas vezes desperto
E abro as janelas, pálido de espanto...
E conversamos toda a noite, enquanto
A via-láctea, como um pálio aberto,
Cintila. E, ao vir do sol, saudoso e em pranto,
Inda as procuro pelo céu deserto.
Direis agora: "Tresloucado amigo!
Que conversas com elas? Que sentido
Tem o que dizem, quando estão contigo?"
E eu vos direi: "Amai para entendê-las!
Pois só quem ama pode ter ouvido
Capaz de ouvir e de entender estrelas.”
Translated Text:
“Oh you say you hear stars!
Certainly you lost your senses
I’ll say, in the meantime,
That to hear them, always be vigilant
And open the windows, pallid with wonder.
And we talk all night, while
The Milky Way like an open pallium,
Scintillates. And I, even with looming sunrise, Yearning and tearful,
Seek it through the deserted sky.
I’ll say now: “Crazed friend!
What say you to them? What meaning
Do their words have when they’re with you?”
And I would tell you: “Love to understand them!
For only one who loves can have ears
Capable of understanding stars.”
Bernardo Villela has had poetry published by Entropy, Zoetic Press, and Bluepepper and Eldritch & Ether; and poetry translations in New Delta Review and AzonaL. You can read more about these and various other pursuits at https://linktr.ee/bernardovillela.
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