Como latas de cerveza vacías y colillas
This poem by Ernesto Cardenal uses vivid imagery to express the transient nature of life and beauty. The poet compares his days to empty beer cans and cigarette butts, suggesting a sense of waste and ephemerality. Life is likened to fleeting images on a television screen, emphasizing how quickly time passes. The poem continues with the metaphor of fast-moving cars, accompanied by the laughter of girls and radio music, to illustrate the swift passage of beauty and trends. Ultimately, the poem reflects on the remnants of these experiences, symbolized by empty cans, cigarette butts, and other discarded items, evoking a sense of nostalgia and loss. Cardenal's work often intertwines personal reflection with broader social commentary, capturing the impermanence of life and the inevitability of change.
| Word | Easy Meaning | Translation | Pron. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Como | igual a | like | koh-moh |
| latas | envases | cans | lah-tahs |
| de | de | from | deh |
| cerveza | bebida alcohólica | beer | ser-veh-sah |
| vacías | sin contenido | empty | vah-see-ahs |
| y | e | as well as | ee |
| colillas | restos de cigarrillos | cigarette butts | koh-lee-yahs |
| cigarrillos | tabacos | cigarettes | see-gah-ree-yohs |
| apagados | extinguidos | extinguished | ah-pah-gah-dohs |
| han | han | have been | ahn |
| sido | estado | been | see-doh |
| mis | mis | my own | mees |
| días | jornadas | days | dee-ahs |
| figuras | imágenes | figures | fee-goo-rahs |
| que | que | which | keh |
| pasan | cruzan | pass | pah-sahn |
| por | a través de | through | pohr |
| una | una | one | oo-nah |
| pantalla | monitor | screen | pahn-tah-yah |
| televisión | TV | television | teh-leh-vee-see-ohn |
| desaparecen | se van | disappear | deh-sah-pah-reh-sen |
| así | de esta manera | so | ah-see |
| ha | ha | has been | ah |
| pasado | transcurrido | passed | pah-sah-doh |
| mi | mi | my own | mee |
| vida | existencia | life | vee-dah |
| automóviles | coches | cars | ow-toh-moh-vee-les |
| pasaban | cruzaban | passed | pah-sah-bahn |
| rápidos | veloces | quickly | rah-pee-dohs |
| las | las | the (feminine plural) | lahs |
| carreteras | caminos | highways | kah-reh-teh-rahs |
| con | junto a | together with | kohn |
| risas | carcajadas | laughter | ree-sahs |
| muchachas | chicas | girls | moo-chah-chahs |
| músicas | canciones | music | moo-see-kahs |
| radios | emisoras | radios | rah-dee-ohs |
| Y | Y | And also | ee |
| la | la | the (feminine singular) | lah |
| belleza | hermosura | beauty | beh-yeh-sah |
| pasó | transcurrió | passed | pah-soh |
| rápida | veloz | quickly | rah-pee-dah |
| como | igual a | as | koh-moh |
| el | el | the (masculine singular) | el |
| modelo | diseño | model | moh-deh-loh |
| los | los | the (masculine plural) | lohs |
| autos | coches | cars | ow-tohs |
| canciones | músicas | songs | kahn-see-oh-nes |
| pasaron | transcurrieron | went | pah-sah-rohn |
| moda | tendencia | fashion | moh-dah |
| no | no | not any | noh |
| quedado | permanecido | remained | keh-dah-doh |
| nada | nada | not anything | nah-dah |
| aquellos | esos | those | ah-keh-yohs |
| más | solamente | more | mahs |
| apagadas | extinguidas | extinguished | ah-pah-gah-dahs |
| en | dentro de | in | en |
| fotos | imágenes | photos | foh-tohs |
| marchitas | descoloridas | withered | mahr-chee-tahs |
| boletos | entradas | tickets | boh-leh-tohs |
| rotos | desgarrados | torn | roh-tohs |
| aserrín | polvo de madera | sawdust | ah-seh-reen |
| al | al | to the | ahl |
| amanecer | alba | dawn | ah-mah-neh-sehr |
| barrieron | limpiaron | swept | bah-ree-eh-rohn |
| bares | tabernas | bars | bah-rehs |
Ernesto Cardenal Martínez (1925–2020) was a Nicaraguan Catholic priest, revolutionary, poet, and politician. He was a liberation theologian and the founder of the primitivist art community in the Solentiname Islands. A former member of the Nicaraguan Sandinistas, he served as Nicaragua's minister of culture from 1979 to 1987.
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