Bolero by Julio Cortázar (adaptation)

Introduction: Probably Julio Cortázar would be one of the most difficult writers to translate. His knowledge about spanish made him a word's master. If you don't speak spanish you lost the opportunity to read him in the original, what is a very particular spanish (he writes in an "argentinian" way, what it means that he uses words like "che", "pibe", words that, of course, cannot be translated to other languages). That it's true in his novels, but in his poems the idea is even more complex. Of course to translate poetry from any language is a hard work and always you will lost some sense of the original idea. However, you can make yourself an idea. I wanted to adapt this poem because is very romantic to me. But It lost all of the idea. Probably because I don't know very well the english language.


Bolero - Julio Cortázar

What a vanity to imagine
that I can give you all, love and bliss,
paths, music, toys.
All of that is true:
I give you all what is mine, is true;
but all of mine is not enough for you.
Like to me, is not enough that you
give me all of yours.

Because that, we will never be
the perfect couple, like the post card,
if we are not able to accept
that only in maths,
two is the result of one plus one.

Thereabouts I see a paper
in which only reads:

You always was my mirror,
it means that to see me I had to see you.

And this little fragment:

The slow loveless's machine
the gears of the reflux
bodies that left the pillows
beddings and kisses.

And stand up against the mirror,
They wonder to themselves,
not already seeing between them,
not now naked to each other,
I don't love you anymore,
sweetheart.