XVII (I do not love you…)
puisi ini ada di undangan pernikahan temanku, Dewi Ria Utari.
acaranya tadi malam, pesta taman yang manis dan sederhana.
aslinya berbahasa Spanyol.
baca pelan-pelan ya, kata demi kata.
indah.
I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off. I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, in secret, between the shadow and the soul. I love you as the plant that never blooms but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers; thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance, risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body. I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way than this: where “I” does not exist, nor “you”, so close that your hand on my chest is my hand, so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep. |
Pablo Neruda
Translated by Stephen Tapscott
