Two lines from Amaranta by Rafael Alberti
Hi,
I'm reading a poem Amaranta by Rafael Alberti. Mostly it's more or less clear (as clear as this kind of poetry can be 
) But these two lines resist my attempts:
--
Muerde, heridor, tus dientes desangrados,
y corvo, en vilo, al viento te levanta.
--
I can't figure out the grammar here. Is it an order to bite (as in "Bite! You wounder!" (what?) ) ? Is it a description of someone biting Amaranta (Up to this moment the poem addresses Amaranta)? Who is lifting whom in the air? I'm lost and asking for help
(Yes, I realise it's poetic and the meaning isn't straightforward, but I'm looking for basic understanding: who is biting, to whom do the teeth belong, who is being lifted)
Here is the poem for context:
-----------------
Rubios, pulidos senos de Amaranta,
por una lengua de lebrel limados.
Pórticos de limones, desviados
por el canal que asciende a tu garganta.
Rojo, un puente de rizos se adelanta
e incendia tus marfiles ondulados.
Muerde, heridor, tus dientes desangrados,
y corvo, en vilo, al viento te levanta.
La soledad, dormida en la espesura,
calza su pie de céfiro y desciende
del olmo alto al mar de la llanura.
Su cuerpo en sombra, oscuro, se le enciende,
y gladiadora, como un ascua impura,
entre Amaranta y su amador se tiende.
( http://www.poesi.as/racc0104.htm )
Thanks!
4 Answers
First of all I'm a little crazy for trying to describe what the author wants to express to us , and if this [wouldn't be] weren't enough, I do it in English.
In Spanish you can change the adjective order [for intensify] for intensity or to intensify it. So all the adjectives in a not common [ an uncommon sounds better] order are important for the author.
Basically he describes how a wavy and RED lock of hair contrasts with her perfect teeth entering in her mouth and staining/colouring them with the [bloods] colour of blood. Finally he continues describing how her [hair ] lock of hair is moved by the wind.
metaphors used. Look for translations.
Puente de...... mechón
Incendia -- ilumina contrasta vivamente
Marfiles - dientes.
Ondulados-- armónicos, en secuencia ordenada
Muerde( el mechon) -- entra, penetra, se mete sin permiso
"En vilo. Al viento te levanta"
. I suppose he is playing with the meanings of "en vilo" and the subject.
1- En vilo ,colgando. (El mechon)
2- As he is using "te" ( la imagen del mechon te levanta) instead of"lo" or "se" ( el viento lo levanta or el mechon se levanta) En vilo inquieto con suspense,con excitación .(para quien lo observa)
An advance [a warning/note/advice?] .This is a free interpretation and I may be wrong.
As you can [say] see my English is not good enough and I am not crazy enough to translate it literally.
Rojo, un puente de rizos se adelanta e incendia tus marfiles ondulados. Muerde, heridor, tus dientes desangrados, y corvo, en vilo, al viento te levanta.
The author mentions "rojo", which could be the color of her hair (rizos) but it could also be the color of blood. When it says "incendia tus marfiles " we could guess "marfiles" are her teeth. We sometimes call them "dientes de marfil" or "ivory teeth" Her hair goes forward and "sets fire to her white teeth". I could guess "dientes desangrados" is because they aren't red but white. The "muerde" could have the idea that those white ivory teeth "bite".
All has like a double entendre.
I'm not good at poetry at all so let's see what other people have to say.
red-blood set on fire ivory teeth white bite
dientes desangrados. teeth that have bled almost to death.
I am not going to add to the help you have been given with the poem. I just want to say I enjoy Alberti's poetry but did not know this one. The first poem I read was 'se equivoco la paloma' our Spanish teacher was a fan and it uses straight forward language. Later another teacher who was a poet, introduced us to other poets of Generation 27.
Here is a musical version of se equivocó la paloma. It was written when he was in exile in Argentina and the music written by an Argentinean so a version by Mercedes Sosa appears appropriate [but the duet with Serrat and Ana Bélen is good too]
This is what I found:
En el poema “Amaranta “ de Rafael Alberti, se distinguen dos partes aunque el tema siempre gira en torno a la descripción de una mujer “Amaranta”. La primera parte está comprendida en los dos primeros cuartetos, que comprende la descripción física de “Amaranta”. En los siguientes dos tercetos, el “yo poético” describe de nuevo a “Amaranta” pero utiliza un matiz distinto a las anteriores descripciones. El “yo poético” interactúa con “Amaranta” y describe las impresiones y sentimientos que el cuerpo de “Amaranta” le hace sentir.
I actually don't know what heridor means here , either.
Heridor: one who inflicts pain
herir : injure
