David Brendan O'Meara

Sor Juana’s First Dream, lines 1-24

December 2, 2021

The translation:

Pyramid-shaped, a dark dismal Shadow, 
born of Earth, pointed the way to Heaven,
the highest point among useless
obelisks trying to climb to the stars;
although the beautiful Lights
unfettered always, always sparkling,
from the gloomy depth of War
with its black vapors the close companion
of the frightful fugitive Shadow
mocking from so far off
that its darkened brow
still could not reach to the Dome above:
the orb of the Goddess,
She, the thrice-beauteous,
with three beautiful Faces to show off,
remaining apart, the Owner
of the air steaming upward,
thick Breath of exhalation;
and within the self-contained stillness
of Her noiseless Empire
She allowed only the submissive voices 
of the nocturnal Birds,
so somber, so serious,
that even Silence dared not interrupt.

El original:
Primero Sueño (vv 1-24)
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, 1692

Piramidal, funesta, de la tierra
nacida sombra, al cielo encaminaba
de vanos obeliscos punta altiva,
escalar pretendiendo las estrellas;
si bien sus luces bellas,
exentas siempre, siempre rutilantes,
la tenebrosa guerra
que con negros vapores le intimaba
la pavorosa sombra fugitiva
burlaban tan distantes,
que su atezado ceño
al superior convexo aun no llegaba
del orbe de la diosa
que tres veces hermosa
con tres hermosos rostros ser ostenta,
quedando sólo o dueño
del aire que empañaba
con el aliento denso que exhalaba;
y en la quietud contenta
de imperio silencioso,
sumisas sólo voces consentía
de las nocturnas aves,
tan obscuras, tan graves,
que aun el silencio no se interrumpía.

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