There on the horizon the fire
and the dark silhouettes of the imbondeiro trees
with their arms raised
in the air the green smell of burnt palm trees
On the road
the line of Bailundo porters
groaning under their loads of crueira
in the room
the sweet sweet-eyed mulatress
retouching her face with rouge and rice-powder
the woman under her many clothes moving her hips
on the bed
the sleepless man thinking
of buying knives and forks to eat with at a table
On the sky the reflections
of the fire
and the silhouette of the blacks as the drums
with their arms raised
in the air the warm tune of marimbas
On the road the porters
in the room the mulatress
on the bed the sleepless man
The burning colas consuming
consuming with fire
the warm country of the horizons.
Antonio Agostinho Neto (1922 - 1979) Angola
Translated by W. S. Merwin
and the dark silhouettes of the imbondeiro trees
with their arms raised
in the air the green smell of burnt palm trees
On the road
the line of Bailundo porters
groaning under their loads of crueira
in the room
the sweet sweet-eyed mulatress
retouching her face with rouge and rice-powder
the woman under her many clothes moving her hips
on the bed
the sleepless man thinking
of buying knives and forks to eat with at a table
On the sky the reflections
of the fire
and the silhouette of the blacks as the drums
with their arms raised
in the air the warm tune of marimbas
On the road the porters
in the room the mulatress
on the bed the sleepless man
The burning colas consuming
consuming with fire
the warm country of the horizons.
Antonio Agostinho Neto (1922 - 1979) Angola
Translated by W. S. Merwin
Source: Jackdaw's Nest
imbondeiro trees = baobab, Adansonia digitata
crueira = maize flower
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