from my Honors Spanish 3 teacher

A note that came with her RSVP:

Michelle: Here are 2 very special poems that I teach in Honors Spanish 3 (did I have you in that class?) If so, you may remember them. Randy will.) Becquer is the Spanish equivalent of the English Romantics Keats, Byron, and Shelley. If you like then, you can use one or both. I took the liberty of translating them so you can use the English only if you wish. As always, there is a bit lost in the translation.

[poems by Gustavo Adolfo Béquer. translations by Betsy Norris]

Rima X

  Los invisibles átomos del aire
En derredor palpitan y se inflaman;
El cielo se deshace en rayos de oro;
La tierra se estremece alborozada;
Oigo flotando en olas de armonía
Rumor de besos y batir de alas;
Mis párpados se cierran...¿Qué sucede?
--¡Es el amor que pasa!

Rhyme X

  Invisible atoms of the air
Throb and burst into flame everywhere;
The sky unfolds in rays of gold;
The earth trembles joyfully;
I hear floating in waves of harmony
The murmur of kisses and beating of wings;
My eyes close...What is happening?
--It is love passing by!

Rima XXI

  ¿Qué es poesía? dices mientras clavas
En mi pupila tu pupila azul;
  ¿Qué es poesía? ¿Y tu me lo preguntas?
        Poesía...eres tú.

Rhyme XXI
  What is poetry? you say as you gaze
In my pupil your blue pupil;
  What is poetry? And you ask me?
        Poetry...is you.

[I don't even remember if I was in Honors Spanish 3, though I do remember taking some kind of Spanish 3 class my senior year. Then again, I missed every Friday class (for good reasons!) And for people who need those special accented characters and upside down question marks, Go here.]