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Poetry

On Beginnings

By Filinto Elísio
Translated from Portuguese by Jethro Soutar
Filinto Elísio meditates on the border between existence and nonexistence in this short poem.

A cry, at birth,
and, then, only silence.
Inert stone, atomic,
nuclear before life.

 

© Filinto Elísio. Translation © 2020 by Jethro Soutar. All rights reserved.

English Portuguese (Original)

A cry, at birth,
and, then, only silence.
Inert stone, atomic,
nuclear before life.

 

© Filinto Elísio. Translation © 2020 by Jethro Soutar. All rights reserved.

De Começar

De um grito, em parto,
e, depois, só silêncio.
Inerte pedra, atómica,
nuclear antes da vida.

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