Stephanie Diaz
on translating Pablo Neruda
Neruda’s “Aquí te amo” is a playground of images shifting from darkness of the trees in the opening line to phosphorescence of the moon in the next. The visuals that Neruda provides, coupled with the sense of touch that la niebla and húmeda evoke, make the original an in-depth and lyrical experience, which I tried to capture in my translation. The issue I encountered and re-encounter every time I revisit this translation is the use of the phrase “I love you.” This staple of the English language has often seemed overused to me, as though it does not carry the weight or connotation that it should. I realized, however, that this did in some ways play into the meaning that I saw in the original — not because Neruda’s aquì te amo is meaningless or trivial, but rather because it is simple. The line holds a certain immediacy that is not urgent or impatient but frank, honest, and pure, which I felt I would lose with a phrase other than our English equivalent.
about the author
Pablo Neruda, born in 1904, was a Chilean poet and diplomat who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971. Neruda’s works include poems such as “Aquí te amo” as well as epics, an autobiography, and manifestos. Despite his success in Chile and around the world, Neruda remains lesser-known in the United States —perhaps due to his politics, specifically his close ties to the Communist Party. In his youth, Neruda was guided by 1945 Nobel Prize Laureate and fellow Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral.
about the translator
Stephanie Diaz is a junior at the University of Pennsylvania studying French and Francophone studies, with minors in art history and sociology. Defining “home” is a bit difficult for her, but all the same she’ll tell you that she grew up in a small town in Georgia and that her family comes from a Mexican town called Rio Verde. Stephanie grew up speaking Spanish, despite initial difficulties rolling her Rs. She started learning French in high school and has been studying the language and culture ever since. Her hobbies include baking, gardening, and dreaming of a future life in a cottage by a lake with dogs and a garden.
