Mama Ana Paula also writes poetry.

安娜·保拉大妈也写诗。

Corn-husk tobacco in mouth, she throws a thick poetry book

她叼着玉米壳卷的土烟，把厚厚的一本诗集

at me, “Read your Mama’s poems.”

砸给我，说：“看看老娘我写的诗。”

This is true, my student José’s mother,

这是真的，我学生若泽的母亲、

two Brazils on her chest, a South America on her bucks,

胸前两团巴西、臀后一片南美、满肚子的啤酒

a stomach full of beer, surging like the Atlantic,

像大西洋一样汹涌的安娜·保拉大妈也写诗。

this Mama Ana Paula

第一次见面那天，她像老鹰捉小鸡一样

writes poetry. The first day I met her, she lifted me

把我拎起来的时候，我不知道她写诗。

up like an eagle

她满口“鸡巴”向我致意、张开棕榈大手

catching a small chick, I wasn’t informed she writes poetry.

揉我的脸、伸出大麻舌头舔我惊慌的耳朵的时候，

She spat at me her wet words, and rubbed my face

我不知道她写诗。所有的人，包括

with her big palm-tree fingers. When she licked my panicked ears

她的儿子若泽和儿媳吉赛莉，都说她是

with marijuana tongue, I didn’t know she writes poetry.

老花痴，没有人告诉我她写诗。若泽说：

Everyone including her son José and daughter-in-law Gisele said

“放下我的老师吧，我亲爱的老花痴。”

she was an old Flower Silly, but no one told me she writes poetry.

她就撂下了我，继续口吐“鸡巴”，去拎

“Put my teacher down, my dear old Flower Silly,” José said.

另外的小鸡。我看着她酒后依然魁梧得

She dropped me, but went on “dick, dick”, catching another chick.

能把一头雄牛撞死的背影，怎么都不会想到

I looked at her back, strong like a hairy bear that kills

她也写诗。就是在今天、在安娜·保拉大妈

a bull even when she’s drunk, and I understood she writes poetry.

格外安静的今天，我也想不到她写诗。

But today, when I followed José into the house, and caught

我跟着若泽走进家门、侧目瞥见

a glimpse of her lying by the pool

她四仰八叉躺在泳池旁边抽烟的时候，想不到

with four limbs stretched out, smoking, I didn’t think she writes poetry.

她写诗；我在客厅里撞见一个梳着

I ran into a ponytail

鲍勃·马力辫子的肌肉男、吉赛莉告诉我那是她婆婆

like Bob Marley, a muscle guy, in the living room, Gisele told me

昨晚的男朋友的时候，我更是打死都没想到

that’s her mother-in-law’s guy from last night, I wouldn’t think,

每天都有肌肉男的安娜·保拉大妈也写诗。

even if you would kill me, that Mama Ana Paula

千真万确，安娜·保拉大妈也写诗。凭什么

writes poetry. But Mama Ana Mama Paula Writes Poetry, the Ana Paula

打嗝、放屁的安娜·保拉大妈不可以写

that burps and farts. I leafed through page after page of

不打嗝、不放屁的女诗人的诗？我一页一页地翻着

Mama Ana Paula’s poetry book. Yes, Mama Ana Paula writes poetry

安娜·保拉大妈的诗集。没错，安娜·保拉大妈

indeed. She doesn’t write fat poetry, liquor poetry,

的确写诗。但她不写肥胖的诗、酒精的诗、

marijuana poetry, dick poetry, or muscle poetry of muscle guys.

大麻的诗、鸡巴的诗和肌肉男的肌肉之诗。

In a poem called “Three Seconds of Silence in Poetry”

在一首名为《诗歌中的三秒钟的寂静》的诗里，

she wrote: “Silence in a poem, give me three seconds and in it

她写道：“在一首诗中给我三秒钟的寂静，

I can spin the nine yards of sky.”

我就能在其中写出满天的乌云。”