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El Poema / The Poem  
by Homero Aridjis
Translated by Eliot Weinberger

A Octavio Paz


El poema gira sobre la cabeza de un hombre 

en círculos ya próximos ya alejados

El hombre al descubrirlo trata de poseerlo
pero el poema desaparece

Con lo que el hombre puede asir
hace el poema

Lo que se le escapa
pertenece a los hombres futuros

*

For Octavio Paz


The poem spins over the head of a man 

in circles close now now far

The man discovers it tries to possess it
but the poem disappears

The man makes his poem
from whatever he can grasp

That which escapes
will belong to future men



From Eyes To See Otherwise / Ojos De Otro Mirar by Homero Aridjis. Copyright © 2001 by Homero Aridjis. Translation copyright © 2002 by Eliot Weinberger. Reprinted by permission of New Directions. All rights reserved.
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