Poesia kaiera
Whistler-i, Amerikarra
Tate Galleryn haren margoen
erakustaldi bat egin zelarik
Zeuk ere, gure lehen handiak,
Bide guztiak entseatu dituzu;
Aztertu, behatu eta lan egin era askotan,
Eta honek guztiak jokoan sartzeko bihotz eman dit.
Hemen badago ahula den zati bat, beste zati bat makur,
Garrantzi handirik gabeko atal ugari, eta bakan batzuk, berriz,
Durero bezain perfektuak!
“Estudioan” eta bi potreta hauek, aukeratzerik banu!
Eta gero zirriborro horiek greziar erara?
Zeure xerkatzeak dituzu, zeure ezbaiak,
Eta ona da hau jakitea —guretzat, esan nahi dut,
Gure Amerikaren zamarik pisuena geuk jasan behar izan baitugu
Eta haren oldarra arte bilakatzera entseatu.
Beti ez zinen segur izan, ezta prestik ere
Gaua ezkutatzeko edo “sinfonien” doinua emateko.
Ez zinen estilo bakarrarekin sortu, baina entseatzen eta behatzen
Eta ahalegintzen eta eraldatzen aritu zinen material eta gaiekin.
Ertzo andana horren artean, zuk eta Abe Lincoln-ek bederen
erakutsi diguzue badagoela garaitza erdiesteko aukera.
To Whistler, American
On the loan exhibit of his paintings at the Tate Gallery.
You also, our first great, / Had tried all ways; / Tested and pried and worked in many fashions, / And this much gives me heart to play the game. // Here is a part that's slight, and part gone wrong, / And much of little moment, and some few / Perfect as Dürer! // "In the Studio" and these two portraits,* if I had my choice I / And then these sketches in the mood of Greece? // You had your searches, your uncertainties, / And this is good to know—for us, I mean, / Who bear the brunt of our America / And try to wrench her impulse into art. // You were not always sure, not always set / To hiding night or tuning "symphonies"; / Had not one style from birth, but tried and pried / And stretched and tampered with the media. // You and Abe Lincoln from that mass of dolts / Show us there's chance at least of winning through.