Venice masks

Wednesday 10 June 2020

Tenancingo Shawl - Juan José Acevedo Vázquez

Take a shawl, good lady,
tie the fringes neat.
or, if you prefer it,
take a shawl complete.

Rainbow, black, with drizzle,
labors and coyotes:
croon to your successor!             

Rainbow, white, with striping,
famous pigeon-speckles,
diamond spice-bread edging.

Here’s art silk, white color
for the bride’s apparel,
radiant with loving.             

Rezobos (https://www.tolucanoticias.com/)
Here too, weeds of mourning,
scented, for procession
to the mausoleum.

Take a shawl, good lady,
tie the fringes neat.
or, if you prefer it,
take a shawl complete.

Take from Tenancingo,
swaddled in a shawl,
love with which a craftsman
interwove a soul.

Juan José Acevedo Vázquez (20th century) Mexico
Translated by Timothy Adès
Source: Poetry Atlas
Tenancingo is famous for production of rebozos, the shawls which are one of the most popular items in Mexican traditional dress.


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