[Translations by Julian Cola.]
Morning Sun
dawn
the first sun ray
of the first day
of the first morning
of new love,
rancor asphyxiated
to a bygone past,
now I appreciate,
here and now,
the first morning
of the first day
of the sun’s new ray
Manhã de Sol
no primeiro raio de sol
do primeiro dia
da primeira manhã
do novo amor
permita-se sufocar o rancor
esquecer o passado
para apreciar
a primeira manhã
do primeiro dia
do novo raio de sol
Insight
From the insight of my eyes,
pathways revealed
From the insight of my ears,
graced by friends
From the insight of my entrails,
kinfolk emerged
From the insight of my fingers
I swear to this testament
From insight,
I’m all insight
Calo
Do calo de meus olhos acertei meus caminhos
Do calo de meus ouvidos fiz meus amigos
Do calo de meu estômago fiz minha família
Do calo de meus dedos faço este testamento
Do calo
Sou todos os calos
To All Those
to those who accompany me
by the feet of others
who sense me by the mouths of others
who deal me by the hand of others
despise me by the hearts of others
read me by the eyes of others
ohh, to those who accompany others
Para Todos Aqueles
para aqueles que me acompanham
pelos pés dos outros
que me enxergam pela boca dos outros
que me vendem pelas mãos dos outros
que me odeiam pelo coração dos outros
que me leem pelos olhos dos outros
eita turma do vai com as outras
Stars Upon Footsteps
a high flag
was hoisted in the windowsill,
it’s a curtain and doorway to the favela,
the national flag
akin to a swaying globe
I could see it from the asphalt
as the moon launched shooting stars upon footsteps
dreams
plywood
unceasing racket
wild explosions,
revelry, could it be?
ecstasy, maybe?
no
it was a firestorm
consuming a disputed square meter
of a burning favela
Estrelas Nos Passos
a bandeira estava lá
erguida
era janela
cortina e porta da favela
era a bandeira nacional
o globo balançava
era o que pude ver do asfalto
a lua jogava estrelas nos passos
nos sonhos
no madeirit do quarto
e era tanto pipoco
tanto estouro
que parecia festa
parecia alegria
mas era o fogo que consumia
o disputado metro quadrado
da favela que ardia
Sergio Ballouk holds a B.A. in publicity and information from Faculdade Cásper Líbero and a post-graduate degree in public administration from Universidade Mogi das Cruzes. His poems and short stories have been published in Cadernos Negros (Black Notebooks). He participates in literary soirées and poetry circles whenever possible. Enquanto O Tambor Não Chama (While the Tambour Doesn’t Call), his first collection of poems, was published in 2011. Ballouk resides in the city of São Paulo.
Raised in the birthplace of jazz, New Orleans, Julian Cola became fluent in Portuguese during an extended stay in Brazil. He’s been awarded a B.A. (cum laude) in Portuguese by the University of New Mexico and a CELPE-Bras Certificate (Brazilian Ministry of Education). Since 2012 he has worked as a translator and editor.
Translator’s Note
Select poems by Sergio Ballouk have been made available to Queen Mob’s Teahouse because of their universal themes. The poet’s work emanates from the, so-called, periphery of São Paulo’s city-cultural center. This urban metropolis, like so many other cities throughout Brazil, is renowned for producing a society that’s not only stratified along socioeconomic and racial lines, but also delineates accessibility to literature. My work as a translator aims to provide opportunities to poets and authors who have developed independent literary movements despite being cordially shunned by traditional cultural hubs. Sergio Ballouk’s poetry, having been acclaimed and recited at arts soirées on the outskirts of São Paulo, can now be enjoyed by an English-speaking readership.