Historical Latin Americans: Poet Jose Angel Buesa

By Victoria Cepeda

While dusting my book shelf, I bumped into a little book of poetry that I have had since I was teenager. It was “Oasis” (Havana, 1943) by one of my all time favorite poets  Jose Angel Buesa.

Born in Las Cruces, Cuba in 1910 and died in exile in the Dominican Republic in 1982.

Buesa was a melancholic, prolific and precocious poet that penned unforgettable verses. A master and skillful weaver of words that “desgarran el alma” or that tear at your soul. I leave you with a sample of his work. I took the liberty of translating this poem into English. Therefore, I ask all my bilingual peers, to not hesitate to offer alternate words to the ones that I have chosen if they provide a closer translation to the original poem.

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Poema De La Despedida

Te digo adiós si acaso te quiero todavía
Quizas no he de olvidarte… Pero te digo adiós
No se si me quisiste… No se si te quería
O tal vez nos quisimos demasiado los dos.

Este cariño triste y apasionado y loco
Me lo sembré en el alma para quererte a tí.
No se si te amé mucho… No se si te amé poco,
Pero si sé que nunca volvere a amar así.

Me queda tu sonrisa dormida en mi recuerdo
Y el corazón me dice que no te olvidaré.
Pero al quedarme solo… Sabiendo que te pierdo,
Tal vez empiezo a amarte como jamás te amé.

Te digo adiós y acaso con esta despedida
Mi más hermoso sueño muere dentro de mí.
Pero te digo adiós para toda la vida,
Aunque toda la vida siga pensando en tí. 

Audio:

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The Farewell Poem

Farewell though I love you still

Perhaps I will never forget you,  but farewell I shall say

I dont’ know if you ever loved me…I don’t know if I ever loved you

Or, perhaps, we loved each other too much.

This passionate, sad and crazy love

That I planted in my soul to love you

But alone I stay, knowing that I lose you

Perhaps I am starting to love you like I never did before.

I say goodbye and maybe with this farewell

My most beautiful dream dies within me

For I say farewell for the rest of my life

Although the rest of my live I will continue to think of you.