Antonio Machado

Recuerdo Infantil (& translation)

Childhood Memory (& translation) A cold, brown afternoon of winter. The schoolboys they study. Monotony of rain behind the glass. It's the class. On a poster Cain is represented fugitive, and Abel dead, next to a carmine stain. With loud and hollow bell thunders the teacher, an old man poorly dressed, lean and dry, who carries a book in his hand. And a whole children's choir he sings the lesson: "a thousand times a hundred, a hundred thousand; a thousand times a thousand, a million. " A cold, brown afternoon of winter. The schoolboys they study. Monotony of the rain on the windows. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Childhood Memory A cold, drear afternoon of winter. schoolboys at study. Monotony of rain on windows. In class. On a poster Cain is presented a fugitive, and Abel dead, next to a carmine stain. Along with loud and hollow bell thunders a teacher, an old man poorly dressed, lean and dry, carrying a book in his hand. And a children's choir, singing "One thousand times one hundred, one hundred thousand; a thousand times a thousand, a million. " A cold, drear afternoon of winter. schoolboys at study. Monotony of rain on windows. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Una tarde parda y fría de invierno. Los colegiales estudian. Monotonía de lluvia tras los cristales. Es la clase. En un cartel se representa a Caín fugitivo, y muerto Abel, junto a una mancha carmín. Con timbre sonoro y hueco truena el maestro, un anciano mal vestido, enjuto y seco, que lleva un libro en la mano. Y todo un coro infantil va cantando la lección: "mil veces ciento, cien mil; mil veces mil, un millón. " Una tarde parda y fría de invierno. Los colegiales estudian. Monotonía de la lluvia en los cristales. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Childhood Memory A cold, drear afternoon of winter. Schoolboys at study. Monotony of rain on windows. In class. On a poster Cain is presented a fugitive, and Abel dead, next to a carmine stain. Along with loud and hollow bell thunders a teacher, an old man poorly dressed, lean and dry, carrying a book in his hand. And a children's choir, singing "One thousand times one hundred, one hundred thousand; a thousand times a thousand, a million. " A cold, drear afternoon of winter. Schoolboys at study. Monotony of rain on windows. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ (The above Spanish poem can be found in "Roots and Wings: Poetry from Spain, 1900 - 1975", and is presented here for educational, i. e. non commercial, purposes only. The translation is by Jackie Joseph © June 2020) ~ ~ ~