Lorena’s Epiphany

[a lovely poem by Pablo Neruda.. and not why you think]

..
si poco a poco dejas de quererme
if little by little you stop loving me
dejaré de quererte poco a poco.
I shall stop loving you little by little.

Si de pronto
If suddenly
me olvidas
you forget me,
no me busques,
do not look for me,
que ya te habré olvidado.
for I shall already have forgotten you.

Si consideras largo y loco
If you think it long and mad,
el viento de banderas
the wind of banners
que pasa por mi vida
that passes through my life,
y te decides
and you decide
a dejarme a la orilla
to leave me at the shore
del corazón en que tengo raíces,
of the heart where I have roots,
piensa
remember
que en ese día,
that on that day,
a esa hora
at that hour,
levantaré los brazos
I shall lift my arms
y saldrán mis raíces
and my roots will set off
a buscar otra tierra.
to seek another land.

Pero
si cada día,
But if each day,
cada hora
each hour,
sientes que a mí estás destinada
you feel that you are destined for me
con dulzura implacable.
with implacable sweetness,
Si cada día sube
if each day a flower
una flor a tus labios a buscarme,
climbs up to your lips to seek me,
ay amor mío, ay mía,
ah my love, ah my own,
en mí todo ese fuego se repite,
in me all that fire is repeated,
en mí nada se apaga ni se olvida,
in me nothing is extinguished or forgotten,
mi amor se nutre de tu amor, amada,
my love feeds on your love, beloved,
y mientras vivas estará en tus brazos
and as long as you live it will be in your arms
sin salir de los míos.
without leaving mine.