THE BLIND COW (MARAGALL)

THE BLIND COW
Joan Maragall
Translated by Sandra Dermark
16th of February, MMXVIII

Now stumbling on this tree-trunk, now on that,
instinctively towards the waterway
ambles a lonely cow: she's wholly blind.
The cowherd lad, throwing too well a rock,
put out her right eye, and a cataract
veils the left one: the cow is wholly blind.
She seeks the cooling fountain, like before,
but not with the resolve of yesteryear,
nor with her friends; no, but all on her own.
Her friends, upon the valleys and the hills,
the meadows and the riverbank, in peace,
ring, as they ruminate fresh grass, their bells,
by chance: if she did so, she would fall down.
She stumbles face-first into the hard pipe
and, wavering, reels back; yet she returns, 
lowers her head to drink and drinks, serene.
She merely sips, without much of a thirst,
then raises to the skies the horned head
with a most tragic gesture, as she blinks
with dead eyes, ere away she wends her way,
bereft of light beneath the burning sun,
wavering down a path that knows no end,
listlessly flicking her tail to and fro.

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LA VACA CEGA

Topant de cap en una i altra soca,

avançant d'esma pel camí de l'aigua,

se'n ve la vaca tota sola. És cega.

D'un cop de roc llançat amb massa traça,

el vailet va buidar-li un ull, i en l'altre

se li ha posat un tel: la vaca és cega.

Ve a abeurar-se a la font com ans solia,

mes no amb el ferm posat d'altres vegades

ni amb ses companyes, no; ve tota sola.

Ses companyes, pels cingles, per les comes,

el silenci dels prats i en la ribera,

fan dringar l'esquellot, mentres pasturen

l'herba fresca a l'atzar... Ella cauria.

Topa de morro en l'esmolada pica

i recula afrontada... Però torna,

i baixa el cap a l'aigua, i beu calmosa.

Beu poc, sens gaire set. Després aixeca

al cel, enorme, l'embanyada testa

amb un gran gesto tràgic; parpelleja

damunt les mortes nines i se'n torna

orfe de llum sota del sol que crema,

vacil.lant pels camins inoblidables,

brandant llànguidament la llarga cua.