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Armoured heart

(English translation of 'Corazón coraza' by Mario Benedetti)

Because I have and don’t have you,
because I think about you,
because the night is young,
because the night passes and I speak of love,
because you have come to collect your photo,
and you are better than all your photos,
because you are beautiful from your toe to your soul
because you are good to me from your soul
because you hide in your soft pride
your small and soft
armoured heart

because you are mine
because you are not mine
because I look at you and I die,
and worse than dying
is not looking at you, love,
not looking at you.

because you can always live where you want,
but your life is better where I love you,
because your mouth is blood
and you feel cold
I have to love you, love,
I have to love you
even though this wound hurts twice over
even though I search and do not find you
and even though
the night passes and maybe I have you
and maybe not.

 

For more translations of poems by Mario Benedetti, go to Translations.

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