1.
Abrir
un frasco de gel amentolado,
espandir fragancias
por la piel
y la corteza de los ojos y los cuerpos.
Open
a frasque of menthylated gel
let the fragrance spread
through the skin
and the bark of eyes and bodies
2.
Afeitarse
de estres, tristeza
y melancolías
ayudándose de un masaje
al corazón y a los pulmones.
Shave off
stress, sadness
and melancholy
helping yourself with
a heart and lungs massage.
3.
Escoger
un vestuario inadecuado
con descuidado afán
_ Christian Dior para perfeccionistas,
Armani para bohemios _
con la intención malsana
de desvestirse rutinariamente.
Choose
an inadequate dress
with a careless eagerness
–Christian Dior for perfectionists,
Armani for Bohemians–
with the ill intention
of routinely undressing.
4.
Una ola de pasión olfativa
Loewe, para encantadores de serpientes,
Egoïste de Chanel o Calvin Klein –
y quince minutos de retraso,
para despertar dudas
y tensar certezas.
A wave of odorous passion
Loewe, for charmers of serpents,
Egoiste from Chanel or Calvin Klein–
and fifteen minutes late,
to wake up doubts
and to make certainties tense.
5.
Reservar
un lugar en algún paraíso de encargo,
con aromas excitantes
y sabores exóticos
y alcoholes
o zumos agridulces
para enamorados vegetarianos.
Reserve
a place in some paradise of orders
with exciting smells
and exotic tastes
and alcohols
or bittersweet juices
for vegetarian lovers.
6.
Dejarse llevar
por la seducción
con Carolina Herrero for man, asegurada –
la magia de los locales antiguos,
por el encanto de las palabras,
y los discursos carnívoros,
por las promesas,
quizás…
Let yourself
be seduced
by Carolina Herrero for a man, assured–
by the magic of ancient
local ingredients, bewitchment
of words, meaty speeches,
promises,
perhaps…
These poems are translated from Chema Paz Gago’s Manual para enamorar una princesa (Manual to Catch a Princess).
Indran Amirthanayagam writes poetry in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole. He is the author of twenty five books of poetry and poetry in translation, including Seer (Hanging Loose Press, 2024), The Runner's Almanac (Spuyten Duyvil, 2024), Origami: Selected Poems of Manuel Ulacia, Blue Window (Dialogos Books) The Migrant States (Hanging Loose Press 2020),Coconuts on Mars (Paperwall, 2019), Uncivil War (Mawenzi House (formerly TSAR), Canada, 2013), and the Paterson Prize-winning The Elephants of Reckoning (Hanging Loose, 1993). Amirthanayagam is a 2020 Foundation for Contemporary Arts fellow in poetry, and a past fellow of the New York Foundation for the Arts, the US/Mexico Fund for Culture, and the MacDowell Colony. He publishes poetry books with Sara Cahill Marron at Beltway Editions (www.beltwayeditions.com), edits The Beltway Poetry Quarterly; curates the reading series Poetry at Beltway Editions, He serves on the Board of DC-ALT. His blog is http://indranamirthanayagam.blogspot.com