Simone, Dianne Reeves, Lizz Wright, Angélique Kidjo

 FOUR WOMEN

My skin is black
My arms are long
My hair is woolly
My back is strong
Strong enough to take the pain
inflicted again and again
What do they call me
My name is AUNT SARAH
My name is Aunt Sarah

My skin is yellow
My hair is long
Between two worlds
I do belong
My father was rich and white
He forced my mother late one night
What do they call me
My name is SAFFRONIA
My name is Saffronia

My skin is tan
My hair is fine
My hips invite you
my mouth like wine
Whose little girl am I?
Anyone who has money to buy
What do they call me
My name is SWEET THING
My name is Sweet Thing

My skin is brown
my manner is tough
I'll kill the first mother I see
my life has been too rough
I'm awfully bitter these days
because my parents were slaves
What do they call me
My name is PEACHES

Nina Simone

Elizabeth Bishop

EL LAVADO

Las sosegadas explosiones sobre las rocas,
los líquenes,
crecen extendiéndose en grises conmociones concéntricas.
Se han organizado
para coincidir con los anillos en torno de la luna,
aunque en nuestras memorias no han cambiado.

Desde que sabemos que los cielos nos atenderán
durante tanto tiempo,
has sido, amada amiga,
precipitada y pragmática;
y mira lo que ocurre. Para el Tiempo
nada es si no es adaptable.

Las estrellas fugaces ¿han acudido
en brillante formación a tus negros cabellos negros,
tan lacios, tan temprano?
–Ven, déjame lavártelos
en esta gran palangana de latón
batida y clara como la luna.


 (De “Una fría primavera”, 1955)
(Traducción: D.Sam Abrams y Joan Margarit)

 THE SHAMPOO
The still explosions on the rocks,
the lichens, grow
by spreading, gray, concentric shocks.
They have arranged
to meet the rings around the moon, although
within our memories they have not changed.

And since the heavens will attend
as long on us,
you've been, dear friend,
precipitate and pragmatical;
and look what happens. For Time is
nothing if not amenable.

The shooting stars in your black hair
in bright formation
are flocking where,
so straight, so soon?
--Come, let me wash it in this big tin basin,
battered and shiny like the moon.

                                         

                                          LIZZ WRIGHT- Reaching for the moon

Lizz Wright(USA)

MY HEART