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Poetry

Vigil

By Orides Fontela
Translated from Portuguese by Stefan Tobler

Full
      moment:
live bird
attentive to.

Tense in
            the instant
 –immobile flight–
full presence
bird and
            sign

 
(white, open
and alive
            attention).

 
Immobile bird.
Live bird
attentive
to.

“Vigília”  © Orides Fontela , from the collected poems Poesia Reunida [1969–1996] (São Paulo: Cosac Naify; Rio de Janeiro: 7 Letras, 2006). By arrangement with the publisher. Translation ©  2013 by Stefan Tobler. All rights reserved.

English Portuguese (Original)

Full
      moment:
live bird
attentive to.

Tense in
            the instant
 –immobile flight–
full presence
bird and
            sign

 
(white, open
and alive
            attention).

 
Immobile bird.
Live bird
attentive
to.

“Vigília”  © Orides Fontela , from the collected poems Poesia Reunida [1969–1996] (São Paulo: Cosac Naify; Rio de Janeiro: 7 Letras, 2006). By arrangement with the publisher. Translation ©  2013 by Stefan Tobler. All rights reserved.

Vigil

Momento
            pleno:
pássaro vivo
atento a.

Tenso no
            instante
— imóvel vôo —
plena presença
pássaro e
            signo.

(atenção branca
aberta  e
            vívida).

Pássaro imóvel.
Pássaro vivo
atento
a.

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