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Dagger (Patalim)

By Anonymous
Dagger

by Cirilo Baustista
translated by J.A. Del Prado


Day by day
my wife and I try
the sharpness
of our dagger.

For instance
when my youngest child
is crying
and my beloved
does not move
I stab her back
and merrily
watch her
nurse the child
while she bleeds.

If the light bulb is burned out
in our kitchen
and I am busy
writing a poem,

she never stops
stabbing me on the nape
as long as the light is
not replaced.

Our fight is fair
a fault is a fault, no
cheating.

That’s why
by the day’s end
we count
the
wounds
and the seemingly ragged souls
will laugh
and punch each other.
We are always like this since
our love for each other
is more than enough.


In the original language (Filipino):

Patalim
ni Cirilo Bautista

Araw-araw
sinusubok naming mag-asawa
ang talim
ng aming balaraw

Halimbawa
kung umiiyak
ang bunsong anak
at hindi kumikilos
ang sintang mahal
sasaksakin ko siya sa likod
at patawang pagmamasdan
habang duguang
pasususuhin niya
ang bunso.

Kung pundi ang bumbilya 
sa aming kusina
at ako'y abala 
sa paglikha ng tula,

hindi niya ako titigilan 
ng saksak sa batok
hanggang ang ilaw ay di
napapalitan.

Patas lang ang aming labanan
lagot kung lagot walang
dayaan.

Kaya
sa katapusan ng araw
magbibilang kami
ng
sugat
at tila mga gulanit na kaluluwa
ay magtatawanan
magsusuntukan pa.
Ganito kami lagi sapagkat
labis ang pag-ibig namin sa
isa't-isa.


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