El Poema / The Poem

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.