Cut My Shadow From Me

Cut My Shadow From Me


Song of the barren orange tree by Federico Garcia Lorca is a lament by a tree, who wants to live in denial.

The day hounds it and the night parodies it.

It shuns the truth and welcomes fantasy.

And we are the barren orange tree, who weaves webs of lies, dreams, and illusions.

And we beg the Woodcutter to separate us from our shadow, we plead with him to liberate us from the agony of perceiving ourselves as useless.

And we know he can't, but we ask him anyway.


Alberico Collina


Song of the barren orange tree

To Carmen Morales

Woodcutter,
Cut my shadow from me.
Free me from the torment
of seeing myself without fruit.

Why was I born among mirrors?
The day walks in circles around me,
and the night copies me
in all its stars.

I want to live without seeing myself.
And I will dream that ants
and thistle burrs are my
leaves and my birds

Woodcutter.
Cut my shadow from me.
Free me from the torment
of seeing myself without fruit.

Translated by W. S. Merwin Etiquetas: Federico Garcia Lorca

Canción del naranjo seco

A Carmen Morales

Leñador.
Córtame la sombra.
Líbrame del suplicio
de verme sin toronjas.

¿Por qué nací entre espejos?
El día me da vueltas.
Y la noche me copia
en todas sus estrellas.

Quiero vivir sin verme.
Y hormigas y vilanos,
soñaré que son mis
hojas y mis pájaros.

Leñador.
Córtame la sombra.
Líbrame del suplicio
de verme sin toronjas.