76
Diego Rivera con la paciencia del oso
buscaba la esmeralda del bosque en la pintura
o el bermellón, la flor súbita de la sangre
recogía la luz del mundo en tu retrato.

Pintaba el imperioso traje de tu nariz,
la centella de tus pupilas desbocadas,
tus uñas que alimentan la envidia de la luna,
y en tu piel estival, tu boca de sandía.

Te puso dos cabezas de volcán encendidas
por fuego, por amor, por estirpe araucana,
y sobre los dos rostros dorados de la greda

te cubrió con el casco de un incendio bravío
y allí secretamente quedaron enredados
mis ojos en su torre total: tu cabellera.

76
Diego Rivera, with the patience of a bear,
searched the forest's emerald in his paintings
or vermilion, the quick flower of the blood,
and gathered the world's light in your portrait.

He painted the imperious dress of your nose,
the flash of your wide-mouthed pupils,
your nails, which feed the envy of the moon,
and, in your summery skin, your melon mouth.

He placed upon you two heads, volcanoes fired
by flame, by love and your Araucan origins.
And above your two gold-clay faces

he covered you over with a helmet of wild fire,
and there, secretly, my eyes remain enmeshed
in the towering totality of your hair.

_______________________________________

Diego Rivera- Mexican painter/muralist and friend of the poet.

Translation: Terence Clarke