Robert Louis Stevenson en español part II

In addition to his travelogues and adventure novels Robert Louis Stevenson also wrote poetry. His 1885 Child's Garden of Verses is a very popular collection of poetry for children. These poems are very simple and elegant as well as easy to memorize. And quite good for learning English. Here are a few poems from the book I have translated into Spanish followed by their English original:

A cualquier lector

Como desde la casa tu madre te ve

Jugando por los árboles del jardín

Puedes ver, si miras por las ventanas de este libro

A otro niño, muy muy lejano,

jugando en otro jardín.

Pero no pienses que puedes

Llamarle picando las ventanas

Para que te oiga.

Absorto está en sus juegos.

No oye, ni mira

Ni se deja salir de este libro.

Pues hace mucho, decir la verdad,

que creció y se fue

Y es sólo un niño del aire

que se queda en el jardín aquel.

To Any Reader

From Child's Garden of Verses

As from the house your mother sees

You playing round the garden trees,

So you may see, if you will look

Through the windows of this book,

Another child, far, far away,

And in another garden, play.

But do not think you can at all,

By knocking on the window, call

That child to hear you.  He intent

Is all on his play-business bent.

He does not hear, he will not look,

Nor yet be lured out of this book.

For, long ago, the truth to say,

He has grown up and gone away,

And it is but a child of air

That lingers in the garden there.

Lluvia

Llueve por todas partes

Y cae sobre árbol y campo

Aquí sobre paraguas llueve

Y hasta en los barcos del mar.

Rain

From Child's Garden of Verses

The rain is falling all around,

     It falls on field and tree,

It rains on the umbrellas here,

     And on the ships at sea




 Hora de despertar

Un pajarillo con pico dorado

Salteaba sobre mi alféizar.  

Y encarándome el ojo brillante dijo: 

¿No te da vergüenza dormilón?

Time to Rise

From Child's Garden of Verses

A birdie with a yellow bill

Hopped upon my window sill,

Cocked his shining eye and said:

"Ain't you 'shamed, you sleepy-head!"