Two poems by Novoneyra

-Slender little spinneralways at your spinningalways spinning and dreamingin the end to come to nothing.

-In the end to come to nothing,that has still to be seensince with the linen threadsas I twist them from their placesomething has to take.

-Something has to takeand you were right, by faith,since while watching youall the time without realisingI went along falling in love.

This poem come from Novoneyra's Os Eidos Libro do Courel. I don't usually put the original alongside the translation but I will here. Novoneyra's poems are pure poetic objects: the sound sense is as important as the meaning and, at times, even the visual aspect of the words plays its part. If that sounds enigmatic, wait until tomorrow and I'll give you a couple of examples.

-FILANDEIRIÑA delgadasempre metida a fiarsempre a fiar e soñarpara logo non ser nada.-Para logo non ser nadaeso inda está por vere pois cas frebas do liñoó torcelas de camiñoalgo se ha de prender.-Algo se ha de prenderi afé que tiñas razónque eu estábache mirandosin deñar que encantenóníbame indo namorando.

The second poem

Fiandeira namoradaQue fías detralo lumeCos ollos postos nas chamasRoxiñas brancas y azules.

Fiandeiriña que fíasNas noites do longo invernoAs liñas máis delgadiñasCo fío do pensamento.

Cai a neve quedo foraRiba dos teitos caladaMentras ti fías e soñasNunha cousiña lonxana…(Spinstress in love/who spins beyond the light/with your eyes on the flames/ red, white and blue//Little spinstress who spins/on the long winter nights/the most slender threads/with the thread of her thought//The snow falls quietly outside/over the roofs in silence/whilst you spin and dream/on some small distant thing…)