Translated to English by Richard Gabela on April 14, 2024, from the original work ‘Elegía de la Calle de la Ronda’ by Jorge Reyes (1905-1977) of Quito, Ecuador. I have translated the title of the poem as ‘Elegy of Ronda Street.
ELEGY OF RONDA STREET
Where are the horses, the riders,
the fat, whitewashed prostitutes,
the military boots, the whistle with which the policeman jolts himself from his sleepiness,
the knife-like voices that pierce
the night’s chest and back,
the house of the rhetoric teacher,
the blue courtyard where the sky died
and silence prowled around in mourning,
and that mural commemorating
the emancipation of the slaves?
Where can the poet’s house be found,
the house of Matilde with her tender warmth,
with her voice, a peaceful haven,
with her poet’s mouth,
with her belly, so free and vigorous,
with her thighs like firm foam,
that used to make poets sway?
Now, in the depths, poverty alone remains.
In rooms devoid of tenderness,
where obscenities collide.
Four sleeping children. A single bed,
a portable heater, a pot, a spoon.
The walls ache from this misery.
The roofs weep, the walls weep,
the skeletal cats weep,
and dogs too, with eyes already shaded
by the shadow of hunger and sorrow.
They’ve torn down the poet’s house,
the house of the rhetoric teacher,
the house where Matilde filled
her creative hours with tireless dedication,
the mural commemorating
the emancipation of the slaves,
the blue courtyard where the sky died
crowned with roses and acanthus,
to spread a meager coat of black polish
and efface history’s markers,
continuing to disfigure the city,
yet still unable to erase its misery.
Translator’s Notes: “Elegía de la Calle de la Ronda” by Jorge Reyes is a poignant reflection on the transient yet enduring marks of history on urban landscapes, embodying the profound societal and emotional layers within Quito’s storied streets. I chose to translate this piece to share the unique perspective of Reyes, a celebrated Ecuadorian poet, journalist, and socialist, whose works deeply resonate with themes of memory, loss, and social change. This translation strives to convey Reyes’ rich imagery and the haunting nostalgia that characterizes much of his poetry, which vividly portrays a city and its people caught between the past and an ever-evolving present.
Original Spanish Version
ELEGIA DE LA CALLE DE LA RONDA
¿Dónde están los caballos, los jinetes,
las prostitutas gordas, encaladas,
las botas militares, el silbato
con que ahuyenta su sueño el policía,
las voces de cuchillo que se clavan
en el pecho y la espalda de la noche,
la casa del maestro de retórica,
el patio azul donde moría el cielo
y rondaba el sigilo con sus lutos,
ese mural para marcar la fecha
de la emancipación de los esclavos?
¿Dónde se halla la casa del poeta,
la de Matilde que con su ternura,
con su voz apacible de remanso,
con su boca de extractos digitales,
con su vientre tan libre y vigoroso,
con la espuma compacta de sus muslos
hacía zozobrar a los poetas?
Sólo queda en el fondo la pobreza.
En las habitaciones sin ternura
las palabras soeces se golpean.
Cuatro niños dormidos. Una cama,
un brasero, una olla, una cuchara.
A los muros les duele esta miseria.
Lloran los techos, lloran las paredes,
lloran los esqueletos de los gatos,
y de los perros de ojos ya pintados
por la sombra del hambre y la tristeza.
Derrocaron la casa del poeta,
la casa del maestro de retórica,
la casa en que Matilde regalaba
sus trabajados ocios con desvelo,
el mural para marcar la fecha
de la emancipación de los esclavos,
el patio azul en que moría el cielo
coronado de rosas y de acantos,
para tender un pobre betún negro
y suprimir los hitos de la historia
e ir desfigurando la ciudad
sin conseguir borrarle la miseria.