Myth of Arrival

Istarú’s III. “Este tratado apunta”

I discovered Ana Istarú's work in an anthology edited by Fernández Olmos & Paravisini-Gebert some two years ago, but like lots of projects I dreamed about I was hesitate to try my hand at translating what was a series of highly compelling poems. Luckily, my library also had Istarú's award winning book of poems, La estación de fiebre, which has been translated as Season of Lust and Fever Season.¹ This is what the anthology has to say about her:

Ana Istarú (Costa Rica, 1960) won the singular prize for poetry awarded in 1982 by EDUCA (Editorial Universitaria Centroamericana) for her collection, La estación de fiebre, a work of highly erotic verses. Other collections by Istarú include Palabra nueva (1975), Poemas para un día cualquiera (1977) and Poemas abiertos y otros amaneceres (1980) page 273.

And while it is true that much of Istarú's work has an erotic facet to it, it also has a political side as well. Or, to put more simply, the erotic has to be political in these poems. I might be simply another slightly effeminate Anglo male,² and thus my opinions might not count as much as other commentators in the critique of Latin American politics and culture (I know so little of anything), but I can see that unlike what is written in the States, here there is no separation.

III. "Este tratado apunta" Ana Istarú	III. "This pact proclaims" translated by ZJC
Este tratado apunta honestamente que el pudor y su sueño no encuentran mejor dueño que rincón apacible de la vagina y me destina a una paz virginal y duradera. Esto el tratado apunta. Por ser latina y dulce y verdaderamente inclinada a una casta tensión de la cadera. Y no lastima al parecer las intenciones puras de tantos curas. El novio se contenta, al padre alienta que en América Central siempre se encuentra su hija virgen y asexual. este tratado enseña cómo el varón domeña y preña en la América Central y panameña. Y de esta fálica omnipotencia mi rebelión de obreras me defienda. Porque tomo la punta de mis senos, campanitas de aqudísimo hierro y destierro este himen puntual que me amordaza en escozor machista y en larga lista de gerencia colonial. Yo borro este tratado de los cráneos con ira de quetzal lo aniquilo, con militar sigilo lo muerdo y pulverizo, como a un muerto ajado e indeciso lo mato y lo remato con mi sexo abierto y rojo, manojo cardinal de la alegría, desde esta América encarnada y encendida, mi América de rabia, la Central.	This pact proclaims honestly that dreams and modesty cannot find a better master than in the tranquil asylum of the vagina and its destiny to me is a virginal and lasting peace. This is what this pact proclaims. As a Latina, therefore sweet and decidedly inclined to be chaste and a little tight in the arse. But shameless in my opinions of intentions made by so many preacher men. The Romeo is pacified and the father mollified that in Central America we always find his daughter virginal and asexual. This pact decrees how the male dominates and penetrates the Americas, Central and Panamanian . And from this phallic omnipotence my woman worker’s revolution rises to guard me. Because I take the tips of my breasts minor bells of cutting iron and exile this civilized hymen that throttles me in macho brutality and a long list of colonization's ancestry. By throwing a fit like a quetzal I now void this pact from the brain I exterminate it, with military zeal I bite and pulverize it as one would a carcass, a withered thing I kill it and I kill it again with my sex, incarnate and red, a prized clutch of delight from this America, blooming and raw my America of rage, my Central love.

III. "Este tratado apunta"
Ana Istarú

III. "This pact proclaims"
translated by ZJC

Este tratado apunta
honestamente
que el pudor y su sueño
no encuentran mejor dueño
que rincón apacible
de la vagina
y me destina
a una paz virginal
y duradera.
Esto el tratado apunta.
Por ser latina y dulce y verdaderamente
inclinada
a una casta tensión de la cadera.
Y no lastima
al parecer
las intenciones puras
de tantos curas.
El novio se contenta,
al padre alienta
que en América Central
siempre se encuentra
su hija virgen y asexual.
este tratado enseña
cómo el varón domeña
y preña
en la América Central
y panameña.
Y de esta fálica
omnipotencia
mi rebelión de obreras
me defienda.
Porque tomo la punta de mis senos,
campanitas
de aqudísimo hierro
y destierro
este himen puntual
que
me amordaza
en escozor machista
y en larga lista
de gerencia colonial.
Yo borro este tratado de los cráneos
con ira de quetzal
lo aniquilo,
con militar sigilo
lo muerdo y pulverizo,
como a un muerto ajado e indeciso
lo mato y lo remato
con mi sexo abierto y rojo,
manojo cardinal de la alegría,
desde esta América encarnada y encendida,
mi América de rabia, la Central.

This pact proclaims
honestly
that dreams and modesty
cannot find a better master
than in the tranquil asylum
of the vagina
and its destiny to me
is a virginal
and lasting peace.
This is what this pact proclaims.
As a Latina, therefore sweet and decidedly
inclined
to be chaste and a little tight in the arse.
But shameless
in my opinions
of intentions
made by so many preacher men.
The Romeo is pacified
and the father mollified
that in Central America
we always find
his daughter virginal and asexual.
This pact decrees
how the male dominates
and penetrates
the Americas, Central
and Panamanian .
And from this phallic
omnipotence
my woman worker’s revolution
rises to guard me.
Because I take the tips of my breasts
minor bells
of cutting iron
and exile
this civilized hymen
that
throttles me
in macho brutality
and a long list
of colonization's ancestry.
By throwing a fit like a quetzal
I now void this pact from the brain
I exterminate it,
with military zeal
I bite and pulverize it
as one would a carcass, a withered thing
I kill it and I kill it again
with my sex, incarnate and red,
a prized clutch of delight
from this America, blooming and raw
my America of rage, my Central love.

All quotes and poems come from Margarite Fernández Olmos & Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert (ed). Pleasure in the word: erotic writings by Latin American women. New York, N.Y., U.S.A.: Plume (1994) and Ana Istarú.La estación de fiebre y otros poemas. San José, Costa Rica: EDUCA (1998) [back]
On my father's side I am Ukrainian Jew, possibly from the village of Czortków in present day Ukraine. Also known as Chortkiv, the Jewish population was annihilated by the Nazis in WWII; on my mother's side I am Irish and Italian, my great grandfather immigrating from southern Italy [back]

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 7th, 2005 at 11:09 am and is filed under Scantily Clad Info Dump, Translations, Spanish Translations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Istarú’s III. “Este tratado apunta”

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