Text & Translation
Encantamiento
Spanish source:
Gabriela Mistral
parecido al fino viento:
si dormido lo amamanto,
que me bebe yo no siento.
Es más travieso que el río
y más suave que la loma:
es mejor el hijo mío
que este mundo al que se asoma.
Es más rico, más, mi niño
que la tierra y que los cielos:
en mi pecho tiene armiño
y en mi canto terciopelos...
Y es su cuerpo tan pequeño
como el grano de mi trigo;
menos pesa que su sueño;
no se ve y está conmigo.
Enchantment
English translation ©
Lorena Paz Nieto
like a delicate wind.
If he sleeps I feed him,
When he drinks I cannot feel it.
He is naughtier than the river
And softer than its bank:
My son is better
Than the world into which he comes.
My child is much, much sweeter
Than the earth and the heavens:
On my breast he has ermine
And in my singing, velvet…
And his body is so small
As a grain of my wheat;
Lighter than his sleep;
Unseen and with me.
Encantamiento
Spanish source:
Gabriela Mistral
Enchantment
English source:
Lorena Paz Nieto
Este niño es un encanto
This boy is charming
parecido al fino viento:
like a delicate wind.
si dormido lo amamanto,
If he sleeps I feed him,
que me bebe yo no siento.
When he drinks I cannot feel it.
Es más travieso que el río
He is naughtier than the river
y más suave que la loma:
And softer than its bank:
es mejor el hijo mío
My son is better
que este mundo al que se asoma.
Than the world into which he comes.
Es más rico, más, mi niño
My child is much, much sweeter
que la tierra y que los cielos:
Than the earth and the heavens:
en mi pecho tiene armiño
On my breast he has ermine
y en mi canto terciopelos...
And in my singing, velvet…
Y es su cuerpo tan pequeño
And his body is so small
como el grano de mi trigo;
As a grain of my wheat;
menos pesa que su sueño;
Lighter than his sleep;
no se ve y está conmigo.
Unseen and with me.
Composer
Carlos Guastavino
Carlos Guastivino, one of the foremost Argentine composers of the 20th century, produced over 500 works in his lifetime, mostly for piano and voice. Read more here.
Poet
Gabriela Mistral
Lucila Godoy Alcayaga, known by her pseudonym Gabriela Mistral, was a Chilean poet-diplomat, educator and humanist. In 1945 she was the first Latin American author to receive a Nobel Prize in Literature.