Tortuga / Tortoise

La tortuga en su estuche amarillo 
es el reloj de la tierra 
parado desde hace siglos. 

Abollado ya se guarda 
con piedrecillas del tiempo 
en la funda azul del agua.
 

*

The turtle in its yellow case 
is the clock of the earth 
stopped centuries ago. 

Dented now it hides 
among the tiny stones of time 
in water’s blue cover.

 

Translated from the Spanish by Alejandro de Acosta and Joshua Beckman.


“Tortoise” by Jorge Carrera Andrade, translated by Alejandro de Acosta and Joshua Beckman. Translation copyright © 2011 by Alejandro de Acosta and Joshua Beckman. Reprinted with the permission of Wave Books, wavepoetry.com.