We present this work in honor of the poet’s 175th birthday.

 

To Mr. Rufino Cuervo and Mr. Miguel A. Caro

How sad the night is
Tonight, the night is so sad
A sky without a single star
Row on, row on!

For the black woman of my soul,
I soak in sweat
As I toil away at sea,
What will she do? What will she do?

Will she sigh in woe
For her beloved zambo
Will she even remember me…
Weep on, weep on!

Women are like everything
In this wretched land;
With art fish are hauled out
From the sea, out from the sea!

With art iron is molten,
The mapaná snake is tamed;
Sorrows faithful and firm
They are no more, they are no more!

How dark the night is tonight,
Tonight how dark is the night,
It is as dark as absence.
Row on, row on!

Translation by Stephanos Stephanides