[Julie Steiner]

Salvador Rueda (Spain, 1857-1933)

The Cicada

Hush: it’s the cicada — the erudite
professor who taught Virgil poetry,
and gave Greek vineyards, too, their harmony
like deathless, ostinato-singing light.

Making her triumphant lyre ignite,
she still goes on, with zing and energy,
encompassing the day’s intensity
in her elytra. Hear! Her song’s fire-bright.

In sizzling red siestas, it’s her treat
to melt herself away in self-made heat,
a solar ember turned to a thrumming cry.

Her song consumes her till she’s bodiless.
She sings for love, to beauty’s loveliness.
She sings to souls, and must, while singing, die.


L11:
a solar ember turned a rhythmic cry. >> a solar ember turned to a throbbing cry. >> a solar ember turned to a thrumming cry.
L14:
She sings to souls, and must, while singing, die. >> She sings to souls, so must, while singing, die. >> She sings to souls, and must, while singing, die.


LITERAL ENGLISH PROSE CRIB

The cicada

Silence: it’s the cicada, the professor,
the one who taught poetry to Virgil
and gave to the Greek vineyards their harmony
like an immortal hum of singing light.

She still passes with her triumphant lyre,
burning with enthusiasm and energy;
enclosed in her elytra (forewings) goes the day,
listen to her fiery song.

A being blazing in the red siesta,
she is an ember of the sun made a ululation
that wants to be melted by its own heat.

By singing she burns up her real nature,
she sings for love, to beauty,
she sings to souls, and singing she dies.


ORIGINAL SPANISH

La cigarra

Silencio; es la cigarra, la doctora,
la que enseñó a Virgilio la poesía

y dio a las viñas griegas su armonía

cual bordón inmortal de luz cantora.



Aun pasa con su lira triunfadora

ardiendo en entusiasmo y energía;

encerrado en sus élitros va el día,

escuchad su canción abrasadora.



Ser en la roja siesta enardecido,

es un ascua del sol hecha alarido
que a su propio calor fundirse quiere.



Quema al cantar su real naturaleza,

canta por el amor a la belleza,
canta a las almas, y cantando muere.