Here is a poem I wrote in Spanish about an old man and his old dog napping in autumn sun. Since I posted it in 2022, I have written a version in English, which I am adding below.
Sueños
Un hombre anciano y su perro viejo
toman una siesta lado a lado,
juntos en el sol calentito del otoño.
Ambos roncan calladamente, un coro de la vejez.
El hombre sonríe, soñando
de su juventud, de amor, de la vida llena y sin fin.
Y el perro en su sueño corre,
sus patas moviéndose rápidamente a la caza de un conejo.
En los sueños de ambos el pasado vive otra vez,
un pasado ido por largo tiempo
que ahora brilla en el sol,
el sol calentito del otoño.
Autumn’s Sun
An old man and his old dog
Nap side by side
In the weak sun of autumn
Both snoring quietly
A chorus of old age
The man smiles in his sleep, dreaming
Of his youth, of love,
Of a life full and without end.
At his feet, his dog whimpers
As he chases a rabbit once more.
In their dreams,
The past lives again,
Glowing in the weak sun of autumn.
Always fun to practice my Spanish! It’s not even hot yet for you. You’ll be dreaming of winter soon enough. But it’s true, we aren’t getting younger.
Thanks. My Spanish is littered with errors, but I like to try to write in that language. When I do, I can get out of my own way to some extent, i.e., I am less self-conscious in letting ideas flow onto the page. Of course, writing poetry in English is damned hard and it is no easier in Spanish.
Beautiful. I don’t even read minimal Spanish but the English translation is lovely.
Thanks much. The poem might be a bit biographical because I often nap with my old dog Milo snoring softly on the floor nearby.