‘Si dos se besan el mundo cambia’

This is an outstanding bilingual edition of one of the most significant poems in Spanish and not only literature. The flowery translation that is so close to the original, the extremely accurate annotations, the meter that helps in a better understanding of the work, as well as the substantial chronology at the end make this edition exemplary and bring the reader closer to the core of Paz's work.

Overall, it is a delightful reading experience! It allows readers to explore the beauty and depth of the poem in both Spanish and another language. The combination of the translation, annotations, and meter provides a comprehensive understanding of the work. The chronology at the end offers additional context and enhances the reader's appreciation of the poem's significance. Whether you are a lover of Spanish literature or simply interested in exploring new works, this edition is sure to captivate and inspire you.

Another house: it's always raining outside,
a courtyard and three dark children;
houses that are boats and sail
into the bay of light; or even submarines:
a green silence that undulates
and everything we touch always glows;

Oh life, all that I have lived and all that I will live,
time that is dragged by a single oar
and doesn't turn to look behind it,
all that has passed is not, is
existing, and silently emits
at a moment a new one that dawns;

The poet embarks on a profound search for the face of the beloved. They walk through the inner streets of their being under an eternal sun. By their side, the beloved moves with the grace of a tree and the fluidity of a river, conversing like the gentle flow of a watercourse. The beloved grows like wheat within the poet's hands, throbs like a lively squirrel, and flies like a myriad of birds. Their laugh is as refreshing as the spray of the sea, and their head is like a shining star. When the beloved smiles, the world rejuvenates and turns green. Even the simple act of eating an orange has the power to transform the world. If two, dizzy and intertwined, fall onto the grass, a magical transformation occurs. The sky descends, the trees ascend, and space becomes a realm of light and silence, an open expanse for the eagle of the eye. The white tribe of clouds passes by, and the body casts off its moorings, the soul sets sail. They lose their names and float adrift in the blue and green expanse of total time, where nothing happens except its own effortless crossing.

Love is to fight, it is to open doors, to stop being a ghost with a number in a perpetual chain condemned by a faceless master. The world changes if two people look at each other and recognize each other. Love is to strip off the names.

It's okay, just a blink of the sun, a barely perceptible movement, nothing. There is no surrender, time does not turn back. The dead are fixed in their death and cannot die another death. They are untouchable, nailed to their gestures. From their solitude, from their hopeless death, they look at us without looking at us. Their death is already the statue of their life, an eternal being, already nothing forever. Each minute is a nothing forever.... We are the monument of a foreign and unlived life, hardly ours. When was life really ours? Life is never ours, it belongs to others. Life belongs to no one. We are all life, bread of the sun for others.

Love has the power to break free from the shackles that bind us. It allows us to see beyond the labels and numbers that society imposes. When two people truly connect in love, they can create a new reality.

The passage also reflects on the nature of life and death. The dead are portrayed as unchanging, their lives frozen in time. In contrast, our own lives seem fleeting and borrowed. We are all part of the greater tapestry of life, sharing and giving to one another.

Overall, these words encourage us to embrace love and live fully, to break free from the constraints of the past and create a future filled with meaning and connection.

I have mixed feelings.

My expectations were extremely high, but they were shattered as I delved into this poem.

Although it is existentialist, evoking death and life as an infinite ouroboros, and the precepts of the wonder of love when two beings come together, it doesn't fully convince me.

I also believe that as a stylistic proposal, it remains confined within a book that, in my opinion, shouldn't be called like this.

Everything is wrong.

The poem fails to truly resonate with me on a deeper level.

Perhaps it's because the ideas presented, while interesting, lack the necessary emotional impact or clarity.

Or maybe it's the way the poem is structured and written that doesn't quite gel with my personal taste.

Whatever the reason, I can't help but feel disappointed.

I had hoped for something more profound and moving, but unfortunately, this poem didn't deliver.

It's a shame really, as there is potential here, but it just didn't quite come together for me.

Maybe with some further refinement and reworking, it could become a more engaging and thought-provoking piece.

But as it stands now, it falls short of my expectations.

The world is constantly changing.

If two people look at each other and see, they realize that to love is to strip away our names.

I embark on a journey in the galleries of sound, flowing among the resonant presences.

One mirror cancels me out, but I rise from another. It's like a forest where the trees are the pillars of magic.

Under the arches of light, I walk among the corridors of a dissolving autumn.

I move among your body as if it were the world. Your belly is the sunlit center of the city.

Your breasts are two churches where the great parallel mysteries of the blood are celebrated.

The looks of my eyes cover you like ivy. You are a city by the sea under assault, a rampart divided by the light into two distinct halves, the color of peaches.

And you are saltiness, you are rocks and birds beneath the edict of concentrated noon.

Dressed in the coloring of my desires, I walk upon your forehead as on the moon.

Like a cloud, I move among your imagining, journeying your belly as I journey your dream.

I have been endlessly falling since my birth, falling within myself, never reaching my depth.

Gather me in your eyes, at last bring together my scattered dust and make peace among my ashes.

Seeds that are days, day is an immortality. It rises, it grows, done with being born and yet never done.

Every day is a birth, and every daybreak is another birthplace. I am the break of day, and we all dawn on the day. The sun dawns and daybreak is the face of the sun.

The spring of origin will dissolve our faces in the nameless face, existence without a face, the inexpressible presence of presences.

The moment scatters itself in many things.

Octavio Paz is one of the most renowned poets in the Spanish language. His poetry is a rich tapestry of emotions, ideas, and images that explore the human condition, love, nature, and the mysteries of the universe. One of the best aspects of his poetry is his ability to use language in a highly creative and innovative way. He plays with words, rhythms, and sounds to create a unique and captivating musicality.

Another remarkable feature of Paz's poetry is his profound philosophical and spiritual insights. He delves deep into the meaning of life, the nature of reality, and the relationship between the individual and the world. His poems often pose questions and challenge the reader to think deeply and reflect on their own existence.

In addition, Paz's poetry is also characterized by its vivid and evocative imagery. He has a remarkable ability to paint pictures in the reader's mind, using words to bring to life the beauty and wonder of the natural world, as well as the joys and sorrows of human experience.

Overall, the best of Octavio Paz's poetry is a celebration of the power of language, the depth of human thought and emotion, and the beauty and mystery of the world around us. It is a body of work that continues to inspire and move readers around the world.

An incredibly beautiful poem that you can read on a bus ride over and over and over again.

It is a piece of literary art that has the power to transport you to another world, even if just for a moment.

The words seem to dance on the page, creating a rhythm and melody that is both soothing and enchanting.

And when you read it on a sunny clear blue sky kinda day, it becomes even more magical.

The warmth of the sun and the clarity of the sky enhance the beauty of the poem, making it a truly unforgettable experience.

Whether you are looking for a moment of escape or simply want to enjoy the beauty of language, this poem is sure to delight.

So next time you are on a bus ride, or on a beautiful sunny day, take out this poem and let it work its magic on you.

You will be glad you did.

The James Joyce of Hispanic literature, Octavio Paz, is renowned for his innovative approach to writing. He is constantly experimenting with word sounds, creating new words that add a unique flavor to his works. His use of language is so rich and complex that it can be a challenge to fully appreciate his genius in translation. I much prefer reading Paz in Spanish to reading translations. There is something about the original language that brings his words to life in a way that translations simply cannot. The nuances, the rhythm, and the beauty of the Spanish language are all integral parts of Paz's writing. If you can read Spanish, this is fantastic! You will be able to experience his works in their full glory and gain a deeper understanding of his literary vision.

First of all, I haven't read it in this edition, but in the original version on a website. A poem like this, when translated, is bound to lose something (like all good poetry).

I'm not going to undertake a detailed hermeneutic task because surely there are better ones out there, but what has caught my attention the most is this:

It goes from the particular to the general: "I go through your body as through the world" can sound like an erotic-festive phrase and at the same time refer to Mexico. And to the world itself. Talking about how one is not oneself but in relation to others works on a personal and collective level. In a way, it illustrates in verse his essayist visions and highlights that Mexico, despite its introspective tradition, is one more in the world and it is in its relationship with it that it must identify itself, rather than with old grudges in which to find solace.

Its poetic images are striking. To all those who have ever wanted to write verses, it makes us understand that we should stick to prose, that "a willow of crystal, a poplar of water" should only remain in the hands of professionals.

Regarding the sonority, including blank verse, it is a delight for the senses. This, recited aloud by someone gifted for the task, must be delicious. The choice of words (and my favorite word in the poem is "tezontle", with that "z" pronounced as /θ/) is another of its merits. It is no wonder that it is one of the great poems in the Spanish language.

Finally, the circular structure. Like the sun stone (what is commonly called the "Aztec calendar" in a pedestrian way), like the world itself, the poem turns on itself until it arrives again at the willow of crystal, the poplar of water.

But come on, if one is not used to reading poetry, one misses details.

All names are one name,

All faces are one face,

All centuries are one moment,

And for all the centuries of centuries,

A pair of eyes blocks the path of the future...

This profound and somewhat mysterious text seems to convey a sense of unity and timelessness. It suggests that beneath the diversity of individual names, faces, and the passage of time, there is an underlying oneness. The idea that all centuries are compressed into a single moment implies a disregard for the traditional linear concept of time. However, the final line about a pair of eyes blocking the path of the future introduces an element of uncertainty or obstruction. It makes one wonder what these eyes represent and how they are hindering progress or the vision of what lies ahead. Overall, this text invites deep reflection on the nature of identity, time, and the forces that shape our future.

Beginning and ending passages are truly remarkable.

However, the middle part is rather muddled. It makes broad and sweeping statements that seem to overlook the enormity of what the author is attempting to do, say, or convey.

References to "college girls" as "endless faces filling each other" give the impression of an era that may not translate well into the future.

It's important to note that I read this in English translation, so perhaps the original text holds more weight in those lofty and generalized ideals of "everything is like this" and "everything is like that."

Nonetheless, the overall structure and some of the ideas presented have the potential to be quite thought-provoking if they were developed more precisely and with a greater sense of context.

Perhaps a more in-depth analysis of the specific examples and a more nuanced exploration of the concepts would enhance the clarity and impact of the piece.

As it stands, while there are flashes of brilliance, the muddled middle detracts from the overall coherence and effectiveness of the work.