Christmas sonnet

Original version (Portuguese):

“Soneto de Natal” — by Machado de Assis

Um homem, — era aquela noite amiga,

Noite cristã, berço do Nazareno, —

Ao relembrar os dias de pequeno,

E a viva dança, e a lépida cantiga,

Quis transportar ao verso doce e ameno

As sensações da sua idade antiga,

Naquela mesma velha noite amiga,

Noite cristã, berço do Nazareno.

Escolheu o soneto . . . A folha branca

Pede-lhe a inspiração; mas, frouxa e manca,

A pena não acode ao gesto seu.

E, em vão lutando contra o metro adverso,

Só lhe saiu este pequeno verso:

“Mudaria o Natal ou mudei eu?”

English version:

“Christmas sonnet” — translated by Leonardo Soboleswki Flores

A man, — it was that friendly night,

Christian night, Nazarene’s cradle, —

Recalling those days when he was little,

The lively dance, the songs of delight,

He wished to cast in gentle verses, a fable,

The sensations of his youthful past,

Upon that same old night, so vast,

Christian night, Nazarene’s cradle.

He chose the sonnet... The blank page

Asked him for inspiration; but slow and vague,

His quill refused to engage.

And, struggling in vain against the adverse meter,

All that came was this verse of meaning deeper:

“Has Christmas changed, or is it I who’ve changed?”