Biziei ere omen
Askoren artean
Aurkibidea
Aurkibidea
Ocean Vuong
Vietnam, 1988
itzulpena: Ane Garcia Lopez
Telemako
Seme prestu orok egingo lukeenez, atera dut aita
uretatik, iletik egin diot herrestan tira
hondar zurian barrena, olatuak berehala heldu dira
irenstera haren hatz-koskorren arrastoa. Itsas ertzetik harago
dagoen hiria ez baitago
utzi genuen lekuan. Bonbek jandako
katedrala zuhaitzek egiten baitute katedral
orain. Haren ondoan belauniko erakutsi diot
zenbateraino joan naitekeen hondora. Ba al dakizu nor naizen,
Ba? Baina ez dago erantzunik. Erantzuna da
haren bizkarreko bala-zuloa, itsas urez
gainezka. Horren dago geldi, ezen pentsatu baitut
edonoren aita izan zitekeela, han, mutiko baten oinetan
agertzen den botila berde baten moduko,
barruan bilduta dakarrela mutilak sekula
ukitu ez duen urte bat. Ukitu ditut
haren belarriak. Ezer ez. Gora begira
jarri dut. Aurre egin diot. Katedrala dira
haren itsas begi beltzak. Aurpegia
ez da nirea — baina jantziko dut inoiz
nire maitale guztiei gabon-musua emateko:
nire aitaren ezpainak josi ditudan bezala
nireekin, hasteko,
leial, nekez itotzen.
Telemachus
Like any good son, I pull my father out / of the water, drag him by his hair // through white sand, his knuckles carving a trail / the waves rush in to erase. Because the city // beyond the shore is no longer / where we left it. Because the bombed // cathedral is now a cathedral / of trees. I kneel beside him to show how far // I might sink. Do you know who I am, / Ba? But the answer never comes. The answer // is the bullet hole in his back, brimming / with seawater. He is so still I think // he could be anyone’s father, found / the way a green bottle might appear // at a boy’s feet containing a year / he has never touched. I touch // his ears. No use. I turn him / over. To face it. The cathedral // in his sea-black eyes. The face / not mine — but one I will wear // to kiss all my lovers good-night: / the way I seal my father’s lips // with my own & begin / the faithful work of drowning.
