Estamos a facer un inventario minucioso,
We are making a detailed inventory,
coma o herbario dunha constelación impredicible.
like the herbarium of an unforeseeable constellation.
Están primeiro os lirios, adobío de estrelas precipitadas,
First are the lilies, adornment of splattered stars;
as dalias e os crisantemos,
the dahlias and the chrysanthemums;
hai que contar as papoulas porque tamén o merecen as
the poppies need to be included because those tiny, shy flowers also deserve it.
flores tímidas e miúdas.
The fig tree's flower is subliminal.
A da figueira é unha flor subliminar.
The most bookish of all: the capitula of the infloresences.
As máis librescas de todas, as inflorescencias en capítulo.
The orchid is clearly a lascivious flower,
A orquídea é claramente unha flor sicalíptica,
it too closely resembles–I shan't go there.
imítase de máis, non sigo por aí.
The hibiscus fills the afternoon with whims and proverbs.
O hibisco enche de antollos e proverbios a tarde.
Hydrangeas: tell me how happy I was here.
Hortensias: contádeme canto de feliz fun aquí.
There are the iris, the lavender, what is called the tea rose.
Están os iris, a lavanda, a chamada rosa de té.
And then there is the magnolia that, as its name indicates,
E logo está a magnolia que, como o seu nome indica,
must once have been the emblem of some kind of Mongol sovereignty.
en tempos debeu de dar emblema a algún tipo de soberanía mongol.
Callas, anemones, the rhododendron's hardened indication.
Calas, anémonas, o aguerrido síntoma do rododendro.
Then there are other prodigies findable in distant latitudes,
Despois están outros prodixios rexistrables en latitudes afastadas,
like the unspeakable chilamate flower,
como a indicible flor do chilamate
that is felt but not seen, like
que se sente pero non se ve, coma
that deep love that rises like a bellow from the knees.
ese fondo amor que sobe coma un bramido dende os xeonllos.
There are
Hai
water lilies, Chinese roses, dandelions.
ambroíños de río, rosas chinesas, dentes de león.
We also have cosmos and sage and impatiens but those are already
Temos tamén cosmos e azar e pensamentos pero esas son xa
more conceptual flowers.
flores máis conceptuais.
The passion-flower is like the throne of an answer, the
A pasiflora é coma o trono dunha resposta, o
canopy of a consideration.
baldaquino dunha consideración.
There are flowers that forever bear the name of the first eye that saw them.
Hai flores que levan para sempre o nome do primeiro ollo que as viu.
Lilacs, marigolds, carnations.
Lilas, caléndulas, caraveliñas.
I cannot forget the mimosas, swarm of tiny warnings,
Non podo esquecer as mimosas, enxame de diminutas advertencias,
nor my most spoiled: the indecent scent of the bougainvilleas.
nin as miñas absolutas consentidas: fragor indecente das buganvíleas.
But, I already told you–I don't know, it's strange,
Pero, xa vos dicía, non sei, é curioso,
I've passed by here so many times and
pasei tantas veces por aquí e…
no,
non,
I never saw you
non vos vira
before.
nunca.