Antonio Machado
The Poetry of Antonio Machado
12/05/08 23:10 Filed in: Poetry | Spanish Poetry
Antonio Machado (1875 – 1939) is one of my favourite Spanish poets. His work here was originally written in Spanish and translated to English. A Spanish-speaking friend tells me that his work loses a great deal in translation, but nevertheless I like it still for its beauty and simplicity.
I discovered Machado's work at about the age of 42 that for me was far from the answer to life, the universe and everything! I suspect it was probably my first mid-life crisis. There was something dreadful about that crisis, a feeling of waking up one morning and asking the questions, "What have I done with my life so far? What if anything have I achieved that is worthwhile?" It was a bleak time, but it spurred me on to make some important life changes that I have never regretted. I mention this here since the poem "The wind, one brilliant day" says to me more than I could ever say about that crisis, in fewer words and with a simplicity that is breathtaking.
The wind, one brilliant day by Antonio Machado
The wind, one brilliant day, called
to my soul with an odour of jasmine.
"In return for the odour of my jasmine,
I'd like all the odour of your roses."
"I have no roses; all the flowers in my garden are dead."
"Well then, I'll take the withered petals
and the yellow leaves and the waters of the fountain."
And the wind left. And I wept. And I said
"What have you done with the garden that was entrusted to you?"
From "The Water Wheel" by Antonio Machado
Is my soul asleep?
Is my soul asleep?
Have those beehives that labour at night stopped?
And the water-wheel of thought,
is it dry, the cups empty,
wheeling, carrying only shadows?
No, my soul is not asleep.
It is awake, wide awake.
It neither sleeps nor dreams, but watches,
its clear eyes open,
far off things, and listens
at the shores of the great silence.
From Moral Proverbs and Folksongs 1 by Antonio Machado
I love Jesus, who said to us:
Heaven and earth will pass away.
When heaven and earth have passed away,
my word will remain.
What was your word, Jesus?
Love? Affection? Forgiveness?
All your words were
one word: Wakeup!
Passageways by Antonio Machado
Who set, between those rocks like cinder,
to show the honey of dream,
that golden broom,
those blue rosemaries?
Who painted the purple mountains
and the saffron, sunset sky?
The hermitage, the beehives,
the cleft of the river
the endless rolling water deep in rocks,
the pale-green of new fields,
all of it, even the white and pink
under the almond trees!
I discovered Machado's work at about the age of 42 that for me was far from the answer to life, the universe and everything! I suspect it was probably my first mid-life crisis. There was something dreadful about that crisis, a feeling of waking up one morning and asking the questions, "What have I done with my life so far? What if anything have I achieved that is worthwhile?" It was a bleak time, but it spurred me on to make some important life changes that I have never regretted. I mention this here since the poem "The wind, one brilliant day" says to me more than I could ever say about that crisis, in fewer words and with a simplicity that is breathtaking.
The wind, one brilliant day by Antonio Machado
The wind, one brilliant day, called
to my soul with an odour of jasmine.
"In return for the odour of my jasmine,
I'd like all the odour of your roses."
"I have no roses; all the flowers in my garden are dead."
"Well then, I'll take the withered petals
and the yellow leaves and the waters of the fountain."
And the wind left. And I wept. And I said
"What have you done with the garden that was entrusted to you?"
From "The Water Wheel" by Antonio Machado
Is my soul asleep?
Is my soul asleep?
Have those beehives that labour at night stopped?
And the water-wheel of thought,
is it dry, the cups empty,
wheeling, carrying only shadows?
No, my soul is not asleep.
It is awake, wide awake.
It neither sleeps nor dreams, but watches,
its clear eyes open,
far off things, and listens
at the shores of the great silence.
From Moral Proverbs and Folksongs 1 by Antonio Machado
I love Jesus, who said to us:
Heaven and earth will pass away.
When heaven and earth have passed away,
my word will remain.
What was your word, Jesus?
Love? Affection? Forgiveness?
All your words were
one word: Wakeup!
Passageways by Antonio Machado
Who set, between those rocks like cinder,
to show the honey of dream,
that golden broom,
those blue rosemaries?
Who painted the purple mountains
and the saffron, sunset sky?
The hermitage, the beehives,
the cleft of the river
the endless rolling water deep in rocks,
the pale-green of new fields,
all of it, even the white and pink
under the almond trees!
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