Literary Interlude: The Renunciation

My father used to recite this poem often, as if he loved the sound of it all. A little research yielded the fact that Buesa was one of the major Cuban poets of the twentieth century.

POEMA DEL RENUNCIAMIENTO
Mon ame a son secret...
ARVERS

Pasarás por mi vida sin saber que pasaste.
Pasarás en silencio por mi amor y, al pasar,
fingiré una sonrisa como un dulce contraste
del dolor de quererte... y jamás lo sabrás.

Soñaré con el nácar virginal de tu frente,
soñaré con tus ojos de esmeraldas de mar,
soñaré con tus labios desesperadamente,
soñaré con tus besos... y jamás lo sabrás.

Quizás pases con otro que te diga al oído
esas frases que nadie como yo te dirá;
y, ahogando para siempre mi amor inadvertido,
te amaré más que nunca... y jamás lo sabrás.

Yo te amaré en silencio... como algo inaccesible,
como un sueño que nunca lograré realizar;
y el lejano perfume de mi amor imposible
rozará tus cabellos... y jamás lo sabrás.

Y si un día una lágrima denuncia mi tormento,
—el tormento infinito que te debo ocultar—,
te diré sonriente: «No es nada... ha sido el viento».
Me enjugaré una lágrima... ¡y jamás lo sabrás!

José Ángel Buesa


A Very Bad Translation:

You will pass through my life without knowing you have passed.
You will pass in silence through my love, and in passing
I will feign a smile, a sweet contrast
to the pain of loving you... and you will never know.

I will dream of the virginal mother of pearl of your forehead
I will dream of your eyes like emeralds come from the sea
I will dream desperately of your lips
I will dream of your kisses... and you will never know.

Perhaps you will pass with another, one who whispers in your ear
those words you will never hear from one like me,
and, drowning forever my unfortunate love,
I will love you more than ever... and you will never know.

I will love you in silence...like something inaccesbile,
like a dream I could never reach;
and the distant perfume of my impossible love
will mist all around you and you will never know.

And if one day, a tear should make evident my torment,
-the infinite torment I need hide from you-
I will say smilingly "It's nothing...it was the breeze"
I will joke away my tear...and you will never know.