Author of the Week: Carlos Oquendo de Amat

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” -Lao Tzu

Carlos Oquendo de Amat is a peruvian poet,  who wrote during the beginning of the 20th century. His work was not originally written in English, however it has been translated from the original language.

De Amay is most noted for his work: 5 Meters of Poetry. When stretched out the book reaches 5 meters and is regarded as one of the greatest contributions to Latin – American poetry. Other poets include John Agard and Jorge Luis Borges.
This is Borge’s poem The Rain (Lluvia). As there were a few different translations I decided to include the original:
Bruscamente la tarde se ha aclarado

Porque ya cae la lluvia minuciosa.

Cae o cayó. La lluvia es una cosa

Que sin duda sucede en el pasado.
Quien la oye caer ha recobrado

El tiempo en que la suerte venturosa

Le reveló una flor llamada rosa

Y el curioso color del colorado.
Esta lluvia que ciega los cristales

Alegrará en perdidos arrabales

Las negras uvas de una parra en cierto
Patio que ya no existe. La mojada

Tarde me trae la voz, la voz deseada,

De mi padre que vuelve y que no ha muerto.

– Jorge Luis Borges

_____________________________

Remember to enter the creative writing competition on the theme ‘nightmares’.

It may be a story, poem or anything!

The winner’s work will be posted on my blog and I will link to them for one week.

To enter either use the contact form to send your writing or email me at:

uponthehearth@gmail.com
The deadline is the 20th of November.
#ICare