el sueño americano
muere soñando
con vuelos de regreso.
the american dream
dies dreaming
of return flights.
calibán a sus amigos
no tengan miedo.
no son ruidos,
son canciones.
caliban to his friends
don’t be afraid.
those aren’t noises,
they are songs.
calibán a shakespeare
de sycorax, coquíes, cucubanos y luciérnagas
que llamaste sapos, escarabajos y luces.
caliban to shakespeare
by sycorax, coquíes, cucubanos and fireflies
which you called frogs, beetles, and lights.
calibán a prospero
para yasmina
me raptaste de mi hogar,
me castigaste cuando no decía míster,
aprendí tus malas palabras,
te maldije en tu idioma
para que entendieras.
nunca entendiste.
dijiste que mi acento era muy fuerte.
caliban to prospero
for yasmina
you stole me from my home,
you punished me when i didn’t say mister,
i learned your bad words,
i cursed you in your language
so you would understand.
you never understood.
you told me my accent was too thick.
caliban a sí mismo
cambiar de dueño
no te liberó.
caliban to himself
changing masters
didn’t free you.
