By Angélica Santa Olaya

Y Dios le regaló al hombre:

dos faros para alumbrar las piedras

una nariz para encontrar el hogar del hijo

una lengua para saborear manzanas

dos pies para llegar a los otros

y diez dedos para consolarlos

Con esos dedos, el hombre

horadó el vientre de la tierra

y sembró la semilla

fabricó el pan

lo llevó a su boca

y formó un cuenco para beber

construyó una casa

 y una silla

Un día se olvidó del surco

y comió la hogaza que

sus dedos no moldearon

Para defender la silla

afiló el metal

 y otro día

con la mano que bendijo al crío

mató a su hermano

la sangre

y el brillo del oro

 cegaron sus ojos

 y el hombre no pudo ver

que su dios

y él mismo

estaban en aquellos huesos

Del libro “Rumor de Arcilla”, 2014

And so, God gave man:

two stars to light up the stones

a nose to find the child’s home

a tongue to savour apples

two feet to reach others

and ten fingers to console them

With those fingers

man pierced the earth’s womb

and planted the seed

manufactured bread

took it to his mouth

and created a bowl to drink from

he built a house

and a chair

One day he forgot about the furrow

and ate the loaf

that his fingers did not manufacture

In order to defend the chair

he sharpened the steel

and on another day

with the very hand that blessed his offspring

he slayed his brother

blood

and gold’s shine

 blinded his eyes

and man was not able to see

that his god

and himself

they were among those bones

From the book “Clay Rumour”, New York, 2014