Joseph Brodsky - Love Song

 

If you were drowning, I’d come to the rescue,

wrap you in my blanket and pour hot tea.

If I were a sheriff, I’d arrest you

and keep you in the cell under lock and key.

If you were a bird, I’d cut a record

and listen all night long to your high-pitched trill.

If I were a sergeant, you’d be my recruit,

and boy I can assure you you’d love the drill.

If you were Chinese, I’d learn the languages,

burn a lot of incense, wear funny clothes.

If you were a mirror, I’d storm the Ladies’,

give you my red lipstick and puff your nose.

If you loved volcanoes, I’d be lava

renlentlessly erupting from my hidden source.

And if you were my wife, I’d be your lover

because the church is firmly against divorce.

   Canção de Amor

Se estivesses a afogar-te, eu iria em tua salvação,

cobria-te com a minha manta e servia-te chá quente.

Se fosse chefe de polícia, prender-te-ia

e fechava-te a sete chaves numa cela.

Se fosses um pássaro, gravaria um disco

e escutaria toda a noite o teu trinar intenso.

Se eu fosse sargento, serias minha recruta

e posso dizer-te que adorarias a instrução.

Se fosses chinesa, aprenderia os idiomas,

queimava uma data de incenso, usaria roupa alegre.

Se fosses um espelho, assaltaria o banho das senhoras,

dar-te-ia o meu batom vermelho e empoava-te o nariz.

Se gostasses de vulcões, eu seria lava

irrompendo sem cessar do meu centro oculto.

E se fosses minha mulher, seria o teu amante,

porque a Igreja é firmemente contra o divórcio.

   Traduzido por Nuno Dempster.

      "Love Song" by Joseph Brodsky is a powerful and moving poem that celebrates the transformative power of love. The poem's use of vivid imagery and lyrical language creates a musical and romantic tone, capturing the essence of the speaker's love for his beloved. The poem's central message, that love has the power to heal and transform, is one that resonates with readers and has helped make it a beloved and widely anthologized work of poetry.