Dulce María Loynaz (1902-1997) is Cuba's most celebrated poet. Widely published in Spain during the 1950s, Loynaz's poetry was forgotten in Cuba after the Revolution. International recognition came to her late: at the age of ninety she was living in seclusion in Havana when the Royal Spanish Academy awarded her the 1992 Cervantes Prize, the highest literary accolade in the Spanish language. In the first comprehensive selection and translation of her poems, James O'Connor brings to English speakers the haunting voice of this extraordinary poet whom the Nobel Laureate Juan Ramón Jiménez terms in his Foreword, 'archaic and new...tender, weightless, rich in abandon'.

The first English publication of her work, Against Heaven contains a selection of poems from each of Loynaz's books, including the acclaimed prose poems from Poems with No Names, and a selection of posthumously published work.

Contents



Foreword by Juan Ramón Jiménez 1

Introduction 3

Chronology 19

Further Reading 23


Against Heaven


Eternidad /Eternity 26/27

La oración del alba/ Morning Prayer 28/29

Mi tristeza es suave… / My Serene Sorrow 32/33

Más bien / Better Yet 32/33

Soneto / Sonnet 34/35

La canción del amor olvidado / Song of Forgotten Love 36/37

La balada del amor tardío / Ballad of Belated Love 38/39

Viajero / The Traveler 40/41

Premonición /Premonition 40/41

Cárcel del aire /Prison in the Air 42/43

Si me quieres, quiéreme entera / If You Love Me, Love All of Me 42/43

Siempre, amor /Always, Love 44/45

El miedo / Fear 46/47

Precio / The Price 48/49

Rompí a mis pies los caminos / I Broke Every Road I Walked 48/49

Amor es… / WhatLove Is 50/51

Divagación /Digression 52/53

Desprendimiento /Detachment 54/55

Destrucción /Destruction 54/55

En el desierto / Inthe Desert 56/57

En mi verso soy libre / In My Verse I Am Free 56/57

A la del amor más triste / To She Who Loves so Sadly 58/59

Deseo / A Wish 58/59

San Miguel Arcángel/ Archangel Saint Michael 60/61

Canto a la mujer estéril / Song for a Barren Woman 62/63

de Juegos de agua / from Water Games (1947)

Isla / Island 72/73

Juegos de agua / Water Games 74/75

Cuando vayamos al mar / When We Go to the Sea 76/77

Las sirenas / The Mermaids 76/77

Presencia / Presence 78/79

Ventanita / Small Window 78/79

Momento / A Moment 80/81

Marinero de rostro obscuro / Mariner with the Dark Face 82/83

Mal pensamiento / Evil Thought 84/85

Los estanques / Ponds 84/85

Arpa / Harp 86/87



de Poemas sin nombre / from Poems with no Names(1953)

I (“Señor, las criaturas” / “God, the babes you sent”) 90/91

II (“Yo dejo mi palabra” / “I cast my word”) 90/91

III (“Sólo clavándose en la sombra /“A man creates a noble,
lasting work”) 92/93

IV (“Con mi cuerpo”/ “Body and soul”) 92/93

V (“Todas las mañanas hay una rosa” / “Every morning a
rose rots”) 94/95

VI (“Vivía – pudo vivir – ” / “She lived – she was able to
live – ”) 94/95

VII (“Muchas cosasme dieron” / “The world gave me
many things”) 94/95

IX (“Dichosa tú” /“Happy are you”) 96/97

XII (“Acaso en esta primavera” / “This spring the roses”) 96/97

XIII (“Tú tienes alas y yo no”) / “You have wings and
I don’t”) 96/97

XV (“Hay en ti la fatiga” / “Within you there is the
weariness”) 98/99

XVII (“Hay algo muy sutil” / “Something subtle and
profound”) 98/99

XVIII (“La verdad hace la Fe” / “The truth gives rise to
faith”) 98/99

XXI(“El guijarro es el guijarro” / “The pebble is the
pebble”) 98/99

XXII (“Apasionado y febril” / “As passionate and delirious”) 100/101

XXIV (“El gajo enhiesto y seco” / “The dry stump of
the dead rose bush”) 100/101

XXV (“Y dije a los guijarros” / “And I said to the
pebbles”) 100/101

XXVI (“Por su amor conocerás al hombre.” / “You know
a man by his love.”) 102/103

XXVII (“Miro siempre al sol” / “I constantly watch the
sun”) 102/103

XXIX (“En cada grano de arena” / “In every grain of
sand”) 104/105

XXX (“Soledad, soledad siempre soñada”/ “Solitude!
Ever dreamed of solitude!”) 104/105

XXXIII (“Apacigüé el dolor por un instante” / “There
was a lull in the pain.”) 104/105

XXXIV (“Como el ratón en la trampa” / “I still don’t
know how it happened”) 106/107

XXXVI (“He de amoldarme” / “I will adapt myself”) 108/109

XXXIX (“Ven, ven ahora” / “Come! Now! Maybe it’s
not too late.”) 108/109

XL(“Para que tú no veas las rosas” / “So you won’t see
the roses”) 110/111

XLI (“Todavía puedes” / “Youeclipse the sky”) 110/111

XLII(“Si puedes ser feliz con estos ojos” / “If you’re
happy with these eyes”) 110/111

XLIII(“Tuve por tanto tiempo” / “I have fed my
solitude”) 112/113

XLIV(“Tú estás muerto.” / “You’re dead.”) 112/113

XLV(“Pudiera ser que la niebla” / “It could be the fog”) 114/115

XLVII(“Entre tú y yo” / “There is still one difference”) 114/115

L(“¡Cómo se ha llenado de ti la soledad!” / “How my
solitude becomes you!”) 116/117

LI (“En la lluviosa tarde” / “On our way to the
cemetery”) 116/117

LII(“Yo tengo un mar” / “I have a sea”) 118/119

LIII(“Amado mío, dame la rosa” / “My love, give me
yesterday’s rose”) 118/119

LVII(“No te nombro” / “I never call your name”) 118/119

LVIII (“Estoy doblada sobre tu recuerdo” / “I am bent
over your image”) 118/119

LIX (“Te digo que sigas tu camino” / “Follow your own
road”) 120/121

LX (“De las veinticuatro horas del día” / “Of the
twenty-four hours that make up a day”) 122/123

LXI(“En el valle profundo de mis tristezas” / “In the
deep valley of my sorrows”) 124/125

LXV(“Pasaste por mi corazón” / “You poured through
my heart”) 124/125

LXVIII (“Todos los días, al obscurecer” / “Everyday at
nightfall”) 126/127

LXX (“Estas son mis alegrías” / “These are my joys.”) 128/129

LXXII (“Es inútil querer dar un cauce” / “It is useless to
give my love direction.”) 128/129

LXXIII (“¿Y esa luz?” / “And that light?”) 128/129

LXXVII (“Era mi llama tan azul” / “My flame was so
blue”) 130/131

LXXVIII (“Echa tu red en mi alma.” / “Cast your net on
my soul.”) 130/131

LXXXIII (“Con collares de lágrimas/ “You adorned
my breast”) 130/131

LXXXVI (“Perdóname por todo” / “Forgive me for
everything”) 132/133

LXXXVII (“Señor, no des a mis cantos” / “God, please
don’t give my poems”) 132/133

LXXXVIII (“Necesito que me ayudes a dormir” /
“I need you to lull this sick heart to sleep”) 134/135

LXXXIX (“Para mí, Señor” / “God, I do not need Ash Wednesday.”) 134/135

XCI (“Te amo con un amor” / “I love you with a love”) 136/137

XCII (“Te llevaste la lámpara” / “You took the lamp”) 136/137

XCIII (“Salí de ti hacia la madrugada.” / “It was after
midnight when I left you.”) 136/137

XCVI (“No cambio mi soledad” / “I wouldn’t trade my
solitude”) 136/137

XCVII (“Señor mío: Tú me diste estos ojos” / “Lord, it
is You who gave me these eyes.”) 138/139

XCVIII (“¡Cuántos pájaros ahogados” / “Many birds have drowned”) 138/139

CII (“Pajarillos de jaula” / “My dreams are beginning”) 140/141

CIV (“La luna entre los platanales” / “The moon through
the disheveled banana trees”) 140/141

CV (“Esta palabra mía sufre” / “My poetry suffers”) 140/141

CX (“No emplumaron tus sueños” / “Your dreams have
no wings”) 142/143

CXI (“He ido descortezando tanto mi poesía” / “I have
been cutting my poetry”) 142/143

CXIV (“El mundo entero se me ha quedado vacío” /
“The entire world is empty”) 142/143

CXVII (“Poesía y amor piden paciencia.” / “Poetry and
love ask for patience.”) 144/145

CXXI (“Poesía, bestia divina y salvaje” / “Poesy! You
divine, savage beast!”) 144/145

CXXII (“¿Qué loco sembrador” / “Who is this mad
farmer”) 144/145

Carta de amor al Rey Tut-Ank-Amen / Love Letter to King Tutankhamun (1953) 148/149

Últimos días de una casa / The Last Days of a House (1958) 156/157

La novia de Lázaro / The Bride of Lazurus (1991) 188/189

de Melancolía de otoño / from Autumn Melancholy(1997)

V (“Tus ojos tienenla deslumbradora fijeza” / “Your eyes
have the stunned look”) 200/201

XIII (“Por piedad no vayas a tocarme” / “For God’s sake,
don’t touch me!”) 200/201

XVII (“Yo sé que has tenido miedo anoche.” / “I know
you were afraid last night.”) 200/201

XXI (“Hay gente quesi pudiera” / “There are people in
this world”) 202/203

XXIV (“Uno no es uno” / “One is not oneself”) 202/203

XXVI (“Tenía esa ignorada” / “There was a humble
sadness”) 202/203

XXXIII (“Este silencio duro y obstinado” / “This cruel
stubborn silence”) 202/203

XXXIX (“Al pasar junto al pantano” / “Walking past
the bog”) 204/205

XL (“Tus manos tienen claridades extrañas” / “Your
hands have a strange clarity.”) 204/205

XLIII (“Lo único que al final” / “In the end the only
thing”) 204/205

XLIV (“Algunas veces por este desnudo” / “Fugitive
wayward shadows”) 206/207

XLV (“ Ah qué vacíaes la Verdad de los hombres.” /
“The truth of men is meaningless.”) 206/207

XLVI (“Acariciaré el aire” / “I caress the tempest”) 206/207

LII (“Como sé que vas a partir” / “Since you are going to
leave”) 208/209

LXXIII (“Cuando el creyente” / “The believer was
convinced”) 208/209

LXXXII (“Melancolía de otoño” / “An autumn
melancholy”) 210/211

CVI (“Los que aman”/ “Lovers live closer”) 210/211

CIX (“Estoy contenta” / “I’m happy”) 210/211

CX (“Ni destruyo ni creo” / “I neither destroy nor
create.”) 210/211

CXI (“¿Qué paz es esta tan callada” / “What is this cold
quiet peace”) 212/213

CXIII (“El gran mar se mueve incesamente” / “The great
sea moves in endless desperation.”) 212/213

CXV (“El caminante plantó un rosal” / “The vagabond
planted a rose”) 212/213

CXVI (“Silencio humilde de la pobre tierra” / “The
humble silence of dry earth”) 214/215

CXXXVI (“Yo no soy yo” / I am not I.”) 214/215

CXLIII (“No debemos dejar sólo al topo” / “We
shouldn’t leave the job of loving the earth”) 214/215

CXLVII (“Tristeza otoñal sobre todas las cosas.” / “All
things alive are touched by autumn’s melancholy.”) 216/217