DON CELLINI (Traducción de Aforismos de José Luis Morante al inglés)

Don Cellini

 

Don Cellini is a teacher, poet, translator and photographer. He is the author of Approximations / Aproximaciones and Inkblots both collections of bilingual poems published by March Street Press. His book of prose poems, Translate into English, as well as the bilingual collection Candidates for Sainthood and Other Sinners / Aprendices del santo with Fer de la Cruz, as well as his translation El silencio de las horas / The Silence of the Hours, are all published by Mayapple Press. A chapbook, Stone Poems, was recently translated by Carmen Ávila and published in Mexico as Piedra poemas
 
In addition, he has published books of translations by Mexican poets: Elías Nandino, Roxana Elvridge-Thomas; Sergio Tellez-Pon; Rossy Lima; Jair Cortés; as well as the Venezuelan poet Amanda Reverón.
 
A recipient of fellowships from the King Juan Carlos Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities, he is professor emeritus at Adrian College. He is the translations editor for The Ofi Press, CDMX..
 

You can see more of his work at www.doncellini.com .

 

MÁS ALLÁ

BEYOND

Aforismos de José Luis Morante

 

Caminar más allá, hacia dentro

Walking further inward

 *

 
El final de ruta añade a la topografía habitual una fotografía desenfocada del paraíso. 

The end of the route adds an out-of-focus photograph of paradise to the usual topography.
 
*
 
La indecisión transforma cada paso en cruce de caminos. 

Indecision turns every step into a crossroads.

 
*
 
El observador comprende cuando escucha la trama argumental del paisaje.

The observer understands when he listens to the plot of the landscape.

 
*
 
Romeros digitales en el Camino de Santiago; peregrinos musculosos con equipación deportiva, publicidad en el casco y todo tipo de artilugios tecnológicos. 

Digital pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago: muscular pilgrims with sports equipment, advertising on their helmets and all kinds of technological gadgets.
 
*
 
Ítaca y el impulso del viaje. No la meta sino el recorrido. 

Ithaca and the momentum of the journey. Not the goal but the journey.
 
*
 
Se enamoró en plena escalada de la cara norte. Cota 2570. Músculos y nervios repetían que iba por buen camino. 

He fell in love while climbing the north face. Elevation 2570.  Muscles and nerves repeated that he was on the right track.
 
*
 
Sin regreso el viaje es estéril. 

Without a return trip, the journey is empty.
 
*
 
Empleaba la lentitud del sedentarismo en diseñar rutas marítimas con olas fijas. 

He used the slowness of sedentary life to design sea routes with waves that never moved.
 
*
 
De algunos viajes vuelven otros. 

From some trips someone else returns.
 
*
 
El exilio. Un bosque de árboles trasplantados y especies exóticas. 

Exile: a forest of transplanted trees and exotic species.
 
*
 
“Me gusta avanzar con paso firme”. Dijo frente al silencio de los acantilados. 

"I like to move steadily forward," he said facing the silence of the cliffs.
 
*
 
Perseguir la estela del yo. Ir más lejos. Hacia dentro. 

To pursue the wake of the self, go further – inward.
 
*
 
Ser testigo en el viaje de una realidad proteica, con haz y envés, ajena a la senda amañada del turista. 

Witnessing a sheltered reality on the journey, both front and back, far from the tourist's rigged path.
 
*
 
Antes de partir se apunta a un taller literario sobre el arte de novelar. Los recorridos aproximan pormenores reales y ficción. 

Before leaving, he takes part in a literary workshop on the art of novel writing. The tours bring together real and fictional details.
 
*
 
El trayecto largo altera la identidad. La imagen en los espejos del hotel nunca es fiel al original. 

The long journey alters identity. The image in hotel mirrors is never true to the original.
 

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