"OH AS CASAS AS CASAS AS CASAS" por Ruy Belo
In front of a schist house, a woman and child in Covão da Ponte, commonly known as “A Castanheira”, in Manteigas Municipality, Serra da Estrela (Photo by Maria Lamas)
as casas nascem vivem e morrem houses are born and live and die
Enquanto vivas distinguem-se umas das outras While alive they stand out from each other
distinguem-se designadamente pelo cheiro they stand out mainly by their smell
variam até de sala pra sala they differ even from room to room
As casas que eu fazia em pequeno Ah the houses I built in my childhood
onde estarei eu hoje em pequeno? where might I be today in my childhood?
Onde estarei aliás eu dos versos daqui a pouco? Where might I be in a little while from these verses?
Terei eu casa ondo reter tudo isto Will I have a house to store all of this in?
ou serei sempre somente esta instabilidade? or will I always be just this instability?
As casas essas parecem estáveis Unlike me houses seem stable
mas são tão frágeis as pobres casas but they're so fragile poor houses
Oh as casas as casas as casas Oh houses houses houses
mudas testemunhas da vida silent witnesses of life
elas morrem não só ao ser demolidas they die not only when demolished
Elas morrem com a morte das pessoas they die with the death of people
As casas de fora olham-nos pelas janelas Houses look at us through their windows
Não sabem nada de casas os construtores Builders landlords and real estate agents
os senhorios os procuradores know nothing about houses
Os ricos vivem nos seus palácios Rich people have their palaces
mas a casa dos pobres é todo o mundo but the house of the poor is the whole world
os pobres sim têm o conhecimento das casas it's the poor who know about houses
os pobres esses conhecem tudo the poor know everything
Eu amei as casas os recantos das casas I loved houses their nooks and corners
Visitei casas apalpei casas I visited houses I fondled houses
Só as casas explicam que exista Only houses can explain
uma palavra como intimidade why a word like intimacy exists
Sem casas não haveria ruas Without houses there would be no streets
as ruas onde passamos pelos outros the streets where we cross paths with others
mas passamos principalmente por nós and especially with ourselves
Na casa nasci e hei-de morrer In a house I was born and will die
na casa sofri convivi amei in a house I suffered I lived with others I loved
na casa atravessei as estações in a house I went through the seasons
Respirei -- ó vida simples problema da respiração I breathed -- oh life simple problem of respiration
Oh as casas as casas as casas Oh houses houses houses
@ Ruy Belo (1973) (Translated by @ Richard Zenith, 2005)
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