"The Rook, the Crow, the Magpie" by Olvido García Valdés

the rook, the crow, the magpie,
like humans, one step and the next,
in order to walk lost in thought each could
become a talker; head
weighted down, learning almost reflective,
touch of iridescent light, each walks
measuring, meditates, shakes its head,
a foot, three traces and one more,
the other foot, on the roof, in the
snow, mind and eye, there,
feathers of air on earth.

Translation of “[el grajo, el cuervo, la urraca],” by Olvido García Valdés, from Y todos estábamos vivos (Barcelona: Tusquets Editores, 2006. Copyright Olvido García Valdés. By arrangement with the author. Translation copyright by Catherine Hammond. All rights reserved.

the rook, the crow, the magpie,
like humans, one step and the next,
in order to walk lost in thought each could
become a talker; head
weighted down, learning almost reflective,
touch of iridescent light, each walks
measuring, meditates, shakes its head,
a foot, three traces and one more,
the other foot, on the roof, in the
snow, mind and eye, there,
feathers of air on earth.

el grajo, el cuervo, la urraca

el grajo, el cuervo, la urraca
humanamente un paso y otro,
andar ensimismado que podría
llegar a ser conversador; el peso
del cerebro, aprendizaje casi reflexivo,
tornasolada luz tangente, camina
sopesando, medita, cabecea,
un pie, tres huellas y otra más,
otro pie, en el tejado, en la
nieve, cerebro y ojo, ahí,
plumas del aire en tierra.