Selected Poems and Literary Works
From “Nicaraguan Canto”
Ernesto Cardenal
This is the land of which I sing.
Hoarsely, like the guardabarranco
which at a distance sounds just like cattle lowing,
he builds his nest in holes in rocky canyon walls.
And like the cheerful güis in Nicaragua’s parks and orchards
the cierto-güis which keeps reaping CIERTO-GUIS
or like the guas in Chinandega and Chontales
which sings in the dry fields, announcing rain
thus too my song . . . .
And like the “lion bird” (or cocoroco) a lonely fellow
which sings in anguish to announce a puma.
And like the “clock bird” singing out the hours
or the Atlantic “sun bird” saying that dawn is here
thus do I sing. . . .
And I sing like the bird they call “swamp-snorter”
(because it snorts in marshes and in swamps)
but also clearly, like zanates bugling
zanatillo zanatillo
the bird of the oppressed--
or like the “creaker” (grating in damp woods)
or like the ché-ché of the northern hills (guerilla hills)
which sings CHE-CHE CHE-CHE CHE-CHE
And like the “happy bird” whose song means FEELING JOY
The poet’s voice sings FEELING-JOY
JOY JOY
And I am also like the sad cocoyo at twilight
so sadly singing SCREW-THEE-TOO
or tecolotes (owls with enormous spectacles)
which hoot among the ruins.