THE RIVER OF THE SKY
The river of the sky Leonel Lienlaf The sky’s vast river fell asleep halfway along its course. The souls of my ancestors revive in its waters. The earth swims in the river of the sky, in its clear waters, its high waters, on a starry or a moonlit night, or on a night of cold. The river sleeps. The river has become a lake. It waits for our souls. The sky’s vast river sleeps. It waits for me. Translation by Chris Daniels from the Portuguese of Josely Vianna Baptista Wenumapu leufü (Original in mapudungun language) Wenumapu leufü umagtuy rangin rüpü Kallfüwenu leufüko witru-witrungey. Feymew füchkütukey ñi füchakecheyem, ka müñetukey tüfachi mapu ñi lifkomew, wenuko kiñe alengechi trafuya, kiñe chokon trafuyamew. Ti leufü umagkünowi Wenumapu leufü kanchatumekey. Ül: four Mapuche poets. An anthology edited and introduced by Cecilia Vicuña. Latin American Literary Review Press, Pittsburgh, 1998. Digital art by Guilherme Zamoner after a detail of “trarülongko”, an example of Mapuche textile art (from a photograph by Margarita Alvarado / Coleção Biblioteca Nacional do Chile).

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