Leonard Cohen – Filhos da Neve

Agora que Leonard Cohen edita, aos 80 anos, o 13º álbum de originais: “Popular Problems”, altura de recuperar a sua poesia mais antiga.

“Os poemas cujas versões são aqui apresentadas, foram extraídas dos seguintes livros: Let us compare mythologies, The spice-box of earth, Flowers for Hitler, Parasites of Heaven, New Poems, The energy of slaves. A selecção obedeceu apenas a um único – e sagrado – critério: o do prazer.

Tentamos na medida do possível preservar a melodia intrínseca de cada poema, a temperatura ora de chumbo derretido ora de neve. Só nos resta esperar que apesar da mudança de leito – e de águas – este rio que é a poesia de Leonard Cohen, consiga apanhar o leitor desprevenido – como apanhou os tradutores – num dos deus inúmeros redemoinhos.” na Nota Marginal de Jorge de Sousa Braga e Carlos Tê ao livro “Leonard Cohen – Filhos da Neve” edição bilingue da Assírio e Alvim de 1985.

SUZANNE TAKES YOU DOWN

Suzanne takes you down

to her place near the river,

you can hear the boats go by

you can stay the night beside her.

And you know that she’s half crazy

but that’s why you want to be there

and she feeds you tea and oranges

that come all the way from China.

Just when you mean to tell her

that you have no gifts to give her,

she gets you on her ware-length

and she lets the river answer

that you’ve always been her lover.

And you want to travel with her,

you want to travel blind

and you know that she can trust you

because you’ve touched her perfect body

with your mind.

Jesus was a sailor

when he walked upon the water

and he spent a long time watching

from a lonely wooden tower

and when he knew for certain

only drowning men could see him

he said All men will be sailors then

until the sea shall free them,

but he himself was broken

long before the sky would open,

forsaken, almost human,

he sank beneath your wisdom like a stone.

And you want to travel with him,

you want to travel blind

and you think maybe you’11 trust him

because he touched your perfect body

with his mind.

Suzanne takes your hand

and she leads you to the river,

she is wearing rags and feathers

from Salvation Army counters.

The sun pours down like honey

on our lady of the harbour

as she shows you where to look

among the garbage and the flowers,

there are heroes in the seaweed

there are children in the morning,

they are leaning out for love

they will lean that way forever

while Suzanne she holds the mirror.

And you want to travel with her

and you want to travel blind

and you’re sure that she can find you

because she’s touched her perfect body

with her mind.