Petu kvpa pewmalen tvfachi mapu mew

Mawvn nvtrvgkvnutufi kvrvf
ñi trarin
ka, wenu, ti fvtra vl tripay zugun
fillem ñi feypiley ñi neal choyvn
Mvlewma fentren kulliñ —pilerpuy
mawizantu, pichike lafken
vñvm kvme zugu
Umerkvlen amun:
Iñche ñi pewi mu, kiñe fvcha
kizu vgvm ñi wiñomeal ti
pu llampvzkeñ
ñi pichike gemun tremkvlen
antv mew
Ramtukenueli tunten tripantv
ñi nien pienew fey mu
ayvwkvlean
Chumael tukulpageafuy ti genolu?
Ñi newen tukulpan mew mogeley
ta Mapu
ka fey mu mvley taiñ Kuyfikeche
tañi mollfvñ
Kimaymi, kimaymi, chumgelu —feypi
petu kvpa pewmalelfun tvfachi
Mapu mew?

I Still Wish to Dream of this Valley

The rains touch the strings
of his air
and, above, he is the chorus that utters
the sound of fertility
There were many animals, he is saying
woods, lakes, birds good words
I walk on with my eyes closed:
I see, in me, the old man
who awaiting the return
of the butterflies
resides in the days of his youth
Don’t ask my age, he tells me
and I will be happy
why put into words that which
does not exist?
In the energy of memory
lives the Earth
and in her the blood of the
Ancestors
Will you understand, will you understand
why, he says
I still wish to dream of this Valley?

Nienolu vy tañi newen ta iñche

Pewman ta we Kvyen mew, pi
ka kvzawkefiñ ta lelfvn
Petu ñi zugu genon
ka rayen rume genon femvn
(welu zoy alv kamapu)
Tvfawla ñi pu ñawe zeumalkefiñ
lien ruka
ka kvrvf negvmvñ ma meke enew
ñi logko
pvrakawellkvlen wente relmu
Witrunko ta iñche
Umawtulen amuley lafken
iñche mew
ka nepey ta mawizantu
Nienolu vy tañi newen
ta iñche, pi
tuway mane chi antv: Tami vl.

Because I Am the Strength of the Unnamed

I have dreamt of the crescent Moon,
he says
and I have worked the fields
Before words
and before flowers I was
(and further)
For my daughters I build
the house of silver
while with my hair
in the wind
I ride horseback on the rainbow
I am the water that runs
Sleeping goes the sea in me
and the mountain awakes
Because I am the strength of
the unnamed, he says
crown of the sun: Your song.

Ini rume ñamvm noel chi llafe

Feyti vlkantun che mu rume
kvmelay, pigeken
Ka fey ti mawizantu ayiwigvn
ti pu aliwen
ñi kallfv folil mu egvn
ka ñi chagvll negvmi ti kvrvf
chalilerpuy vñvm egu
ti Pvnon Choyke
Feyti vlkantun alvkonchi wirarvn
feyti pu lalu
kiñe pin ti tapvl rimv mew
feyti weñagkvn feyti wecheche
ñi petu zugu ñi kewvn
welu ñami ñi pvllv
Feyti vlkantun, ti vlkantun fey
kiñe pewma feyti afvl chi mapu
tami ge ka iñche ñi ge, vlcha
allkvfe piwke, ka feychi
vl zugulvn
Ka zoy pilayan, ini rume penolu
ti llafe ini rume ñamvn nolu
Ka vlkantun fey ñi vl tañi
pu Kuyfikeche
pukem antv mu vy lu ka chonglu
feyta chi kisu zwam weñagkvn.

The Key No One Has Lost

Poetry is useless
they tell me
And in the woods the trees
caress one other
with their blue roots
and rustle their branches the air
waving hello with birds
the Rhea Track
Poetry is the deep whisper
of the murdered
the murmur of leaves in the fall
the sadness over the boy
who holds on to his tongue
but has lost his soul
Poetry, poetry
is a movement, a dream, the landscape
your eyes and my eyes little girl
heart ears, the same music
And I’ll say no more, because no one
will find
the key no one has lost
And poetry is the song of my
Ancestors
the winter day that burns
and extinguishes
this most personal melancholy.

Tami tremoam ta kvpan, pienew ti Foye

Tami tremoam ta kvpan, pienew
ti Foye
Kvpage ka gvmituge ñi tapvl, ñi
fvn pipiyeenew
Wallkapvle kvpay mi kvmeke zomo
Machi ñi kvmeke wentru Machi
meli trokiñ Mapu mew
meli trokiñ ko mew
gillanzuguayu, pipiyeenew ñi
pu newen
mi pu fvw kechi kalvl mew, mi
pu foro mew, mi mollfvñ mew
Kam rupa elimi am taiñ pu che?
Pvraman tañi llellipun, pifiñ
Ay, ñi pu rakizwam wvzaygu
ñi lewfvmu ñi piwke:

Feyta nomekintun chi Elvgkura,
iñche mu, pimi
Oo! Genechen, kvpatulen tami
kochv kvrvf, tami newen,
tami neyen
Feyta ta vlkantu fegeay, pimi
wvlmeketew Kallfvkawell zugun
Wenu Mapu mu kvtu puway ñi
Pewma mu tati
kalvl zugulefi tati pu kayñe
ñi werken
Zuguli ta allkvanew ñi kimvn
anvmka lawen mew ka pu rayen mu
Femgechi feypimi
Iñche rupa goymafun ñi pu
Fvchakecheyem ñi gvlam
fey mu fewla kutrankvlen
Ñi rakizwam wvza tripaygvn ñi
Lewfvlen Piwke mu

Azkintuen, petu pewman fey mu
petu pvran tami tapvl mew
Feyti puliwen KallfvTtraytrayko
gvforvmapaenew ñi mvllfvwvn
ñi ko mew
Pvran, pvrayu, welu tvgvm enew
challwa ñi ñochi zugun
Feyka trekan ti nvmvn tripachi
mawizantu mu
Ka rumen mu purun. Kisu mu
pvltrvley ñi newen
Kvmeke Pelontun ka kvmeke Pewma
tuway manieyu
Gvman may fey mu, gvman
rofvlnienew ñi Foye ñi pvllv.

I Came To Heal You, Spoke the Canelo

I came to heal you, spoke
the sacred Tree
Go and collect my leaves, my
seeds, he is telling me
From all around they came
your good Machi women
my good Machi men
from the four Earths,
from the four waters
we shall intercede, they are telling me
his powers
in your nerves, in your bones
in your veins
Or do you wish, perhaps, to leave behind
our people?
I will send up my prayers, I tell him
Oh, my thoughts drifted away
from the placid rivers
of my heart:
This one will be Transparent Stone
so say I, you said
Ooh! Genechen, send me your breath
your expiration of powerful air
This one will be a singer, you said
turning over to me the Blue horse
of the word
He will get all the way to the Land Above
in his Dreams
confusing the messenger of
his enemies
He will hear me when I speak from
the sap of the plants
and from the flowers. So you said
But I went and forgot the advice
of the Elder Women
and of the Elder Men
that is why I am sick now
My thoughts strayed away
from the gentle Rivers
of your Heart.

Look at me, I am dreaming I have
climbed up your leaves
The Blue Waterfall of morning
came and wet my lips
with her waters
I climbed, I climbed with them, but
I was held tight by the burbling
of the fishes
I walked over the aroma
of the forests
Then I danced. In him
hung my power
The good Visions and the good
Dreams surrounded him
And I cried, I cried, in the arms
of the spirit of my Canelo.

Femgechi amuley ñi pewma ñi pelon kintun

Ti zugun ta Kultrun zugun
kechiley
fey feypiyeenew ñi pu Kuyfikeche
welu gvnewkvley ñi kizu kimneel
chi kimvn mu egvn
Feymew tami azkan kimvn mew
nvtramkay mu tami pu wenviemu
ka fey weupimeamy pu wigkaemu

Wente relmu mew pvralen ta
wifentu yawvlfiñ mapu
meli gen kvrvf ta afkazineenew
Kam tromv mu chi kewan
taiñ kayñe iñchiñ chi —pilerpuy
ñi rakizwam
kam kiñe antv mollfvñ ta
kolotualu trokiwvn
tañi pu Che ñi rvpv.

And So My Dreams, My Visions Pass

Words are like the sound
of the Kultrun
my Ancestors are telling me
as they are cradled in the mystery
of wisdom
This is why, with your flowery language
you will converse with those who are friends
and will go to parley with the winka

Sat astride a rainbow I travel
through the world
the four masters of the wind
go with me
Perhaps in the clouds I must do battle
with our enemies,
I think as I go
perhaps one day I will paint in blood
the paths of my People.

Llellipun wenu mapu ñi kurantumalal mew
(Machivl ñi vlkantun)

Tvfa tayiñ kemvl gillatupeyem,
pikey ta pu Machi
May, eymvn ta kimnieymvn:
Pu Logko, Fvchakeche ka pu
Wechekeche Wenu Mapu mvlelu
Mvleymvn wvnmalechi zeqvñ mew
ka kuyfike Machi allkvtulelu
tayiñ llellipun
Tvfa tañi mvlen kutrankvlechi
wentru: neyeley
Kisu tranakvnukifilmvn
kvpalelfiyiñ ta fewla
tayiñ lawen
ka, taiñ metawe mew, kvpalelfiyiñ
liwen lvgko
Kvpage!, tayiñ pvllv mew
nieyiñ ta mogen wayzvf pvle
witrukechi lewfv ñi ko
Pvtokoge. Welu ay Genechen
eymi mvten ta fvskvmafimi
Fey mu ka eymi ta zuguwkeyiñ
weza kvrvf
Chem weza fvtra vgpun
ka zumiñkvleymi
epe konchi antv mew
ta miyawkeymi?
Eymi ta zuguwkeyiñ vypvratuchi
kvtral
koylatukelu ka ellka narvmpelu
kizu ñi age
Ya!, amutuge ka wetrofige tati
rvgi wvlelvñ ma mu pefiel
taiñ fotvm:
Ponon mew, ñi amupeyem ñi mollfvñ
feychi piwke
Wekvfv ñi lloftuniel zewma
gvrv reke, chem weza weraw
mvpvlechi logko reke,
rayvlechi qvla
reke kimelpelu ñi mvleal
wezakezugu
Ñi kvme nvmvn lawen mew amutuge
feypikey ta pu Machi, eymi weza
pewma reke mvlekeymi zewma
konvn antv mew
nelvmge!, kiñepvle kvnuwge mi pun
leliwvlfige Kallfvley liwen
ñi ayliñ
Eymi kay, witrage fotvm
Llellipun pipigey Wenu Mapu
ñi kurantumalal mew
ka nepeyey pu kona ka kvpaygvn
ka zew kvpaygvn
Oo! wilvfi pichike chalwa reke
kvpalu Wenu Mapu
zewma kvpayey ta liwkvn fvtrake
manke antv.

I Pray On the Rocky Walls of the Sky
(Poem in the way of the Machi women’s song)

These are the ritual words
say the Machi women
Yes, you all know them well:
Chiefs, Elders, and Youth
of the Land Above
You all, dwellers of the volcano
dawning
and ancient Machi men who hear
our prayers
Here is the sick man:
breathe
Don’t leave him alone now
for we have brought him
medicinal herbs
and, in our pitchers, the crystalline
water of dawn
Come! We have in our souls
the life of the rivers that rise
toward the East
Drink. But ay, Genechen
only you will make her soothe
This is why we speak also to you
wicked wind
How deeply cunning and dark
a yawn must you be
to wander in the twilight
of the day?
We speak to you resurrected wind
that lies and hides
your true face
Enough! Go and break the cane
with which you beat our son:
In the lungs, in the blood
the heart
Wicked force that stalks
deceitful in sight
like just another fox, like any old
guairao, like heads flying
like flowering quilas that
herald our sorrows
Get going in the fragrance
of our remedies, the Machi women say
you who moves like a bad dream
in the dusk
Let go! Release your darkness
look, for Blue is the light
of the morning
And you, lift yourself up, son
The prayers are repeated
on the rocky walls of the sky
and the warriors awaken
and come, now they come
Ooh! Like little fishes shining
from the Land Above
they come, the transparent
and lofty condors
of the sun.

Poems from De sueños azules y contrasueños [Of blue dreams and counter-dreams] (1995)

Translated via the Spanish by Arthur Malcolm Dixon