By ESENDOM                    August 23, 2017

In celebration of #WomenInTranslation month, we are highlighting the work of Aurora Arias, Dominican poet and short story writer. Arias is the author of Vivienda de pájaros and Piano lila, Invi’s Paradise y otros relatos, Fin de mundo y otros relatos, and Emoticons. Her writing is free like a bird. While not overtly political, her poetry carries in its interior the seeds of rebellion. 

If there is an alternative to traditional Dominican literature, Aurora’s writing fits the description quite well. In the poem Nido de pájaros [translated in English as Bird’s Nest by Erica Mena and in French as Nids d’oiseaux by Manuel García Cartagena], Aurora explores some of the essential components of life: sex and desire, decay and creation.

In the beginning of the poem, the poet moves quickly—without any kind of filter—to sing her liberation song:

Luminous missionaries/our sexual bodies/perfect as a bird's nest

H/T to both English and French translators who excelled at their craft in presenting this beautiful poem to non-Spanish speaking readers.

To read the original in Spanish click here. To read the poem in English translation click here. To read the poem in French translation click here.

Related: Women in Translation