AUTHOR ROSALIENE BACCHUS


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POEM "THE WOMAN WITHOUT A NAME" BY BRAZILIAN POET CARLOS MACHADO



The 52 poems in the book, [Lot's Wife], in my view, constitute a single poem with inexhaustible variants. Although many of these poems can be read on their own, the collection constitutes an undeniable narrative that starts from a biblical scene and “updates” the theme, bringing it to our time. The poet [Carlos Machado] follows a path contrary to tradition in that he abandons the “inspirational muse” to think and consider the problem of machismo and, consequently, the role of women in society since the early ages.

~ DALILA TELES VERAS IN THE AFTERWORD OF LOT’S WIFE (A MULHER DE LÓ) BY CARLOS MACHADO, EDITORA PATUÁ, SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL, 2018.

TRANSLATION FROM PORTUGUESE TO ENGLISH BY ROSALIENE BACCHUS.



CARLOS MACHADO, born in 1951 in Muritiba, Bahia, Northeast Brazil, is a poet and journalist specialized in Information Technology. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Federal University of Bahia and later studied journalism at the Faculty of Cásper Libero in São Paulo. He is the creator and editor of the fortnightly bulletin, poesia.net, dedicated mainly to the promotion of contemporary Brazilian poets. The poet, a supporter of women in the feminist movement, is involved in studying the causes and means of combating the increasing incidents of violence against women in Brazil.


Poetry collections by Carlos Machado include:

~ A Mulher de Ló (2018)

~ Tesoura Cega (2015)

~ Cada Bicho com Seu Capricho (2015), and

~ Pássaro de Vidro (2006).



THE WOMAN WITHOUT A NAME
BY CARLOS MACHADO



Statue of salt
face singed

by the fire of Sodom.

What did you desire

on looking back?


Did you miss

your house, nostalgia

of the flowers of your

orchard or, curious,

just wanted to know?


Just a gesture

– and the merciless

curse of the centuries.


Neither the scribes of the book

nor the doctors of the law

– all male

and fearful –

dared to say your name.


TRANSLATION BY ROSALIENE BACCHUS



A MULHER SEM NOME
POR CARLOS MACHADO



Estátua de sal

rosto chamuscado

pelo fogo de Sodoma.

O que desejavas

ao olhar para trás?


Tiveste saudade

de tua casa, nostalgia

das flores de teu

pomar ou, curiosa,

apenas quiseste saber?


Um gesto apenas

– e a implacável

execração dos séculos.


Nem os escribas do livro

nem os doutores da lei

– todos varões

e medrosos –

ousaram dizer teu nome.


SOURCE: A mulher de Ló, poetry collection by Carlos Machado,

Editora Patuá, São Paulo, Brazil, 2018.