Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz

En que satisface un recelo
con la retórica del llanto

Esta tarde, mi bien, cuando te hablaba,
como en tu rostro y tus acciones vía
que con palabras no te persuadía,
que el corazón me vieses deseaba;

y Amor, que mis intentos ayudaba,
venció lo que imposible parecía:
pues entre el llanto, que el dolor vertía,
el corazón deshecho destilaba.

Baste ya de rigores, mi bien, baste;
no te atormenten más celos tiranos,
ni el vil recelo tu quietud contraste

con sombras necias, con indicios vanos,
pues ya en líquido humor viste y tocaste
mi corazón deshecho entre tus manos.



In which she satisfies suspicion
with the rhetoric of weeping

This afternoon, my love, while we were talking,
and in your face and acts I clearly saw
that with my words I never would convince you,
I wished my heart could overcome your doubts;

and Love, who all my efforts was assisting,
achieved what so impossible had seemed:
for in my tears, which in my grief were spilling,
a heart unloosed, dissolved, came trickling out.

Enough, my love, of cruelty, enough;
let brutal jealousy no more torment you,
nor let low fears your mind's peace countermand

with foolish fantasies, with empty signs,
for in a liquid form you've seen and touched
my heart unloosed, dissolved between your hands. 

                     (©Alix Ingber, 1995)



 E-mail your comments and questions to:

Alix Ingber
Professor of Spanish
Sweet Briar College

ingber@sbc.edu



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