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by Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer
Painting: DOMÍNGUEZ BÉCQUER, Valeriano (Sevilla, 1833 - 1870)

Rima I

I know a strange gigantic hymn
that announces dawn in the night of the soul,
and these pages are of this hymn
cadences that the air diffuses into shadows.

I wanted to capture it, of men
taming the rebellious, stingy language,
with words that were at the same time
sighs and laughter, colors and notes.

But the struggle is in vain; there is no code
able to confine it, and barely, oh my beauty!
if holding your hands in mine,
could I sing it softly to you alone.

RIMA I

Yo sé un himno gigante y extraño
que anuncia en la noche del alma una aurora,
y estas páginas son de este himno
cadencias que el aire dilata en las sombras.

Yo quisiera escribirlo, del hombre
domando el rebelde, mezquino idioma,
con palabras que fuesen a un tiempo
suspiros y risas, colores y notas.

Pero en vano es luchar; que no hay cifra
capaz de encerrarlo, y apenas, ¡oh hermosa!
Si, teniendo en mis manos las tuyas,
pudiera, al oído, cantártelo a solas.

"Gustavo Adolfo Domínguez Bastida, better known as Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, (Seville February 17, 1836; Madrid (December 22, 1870) was a Spanish post-romanticist writer of poetry and short stories, now considered one of the most important figures in Spanish literature. He adopted the alias of Bécquer as his brother Valeriano Bécquer, a painter, had done earlier. He was associated with the post-romanticism movement and wrote while realism was enjoying success in Spain. He was moderately well known during his life, but it was after his death that most of his works were published.

His best known works are the Rhymes and the Legends, usually published together as Rimas y leyendas. These poems and tales are essential to the study of Spanish literature and common reading for high-school students in Spanish-speaking countries.

His work approached the traditional poetry and themes in a modern way, and is considered the founder of modern Spanish lyricism. Bécquer's influence on 20th century poets of the Spanish language can be felt in the works of Octavio Paz and Giannina Braschi."

Internet source: Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustavo_Adolfo_Bécquer

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