This is rhymed prose in two languages, Portuguese and English.  Poetry may be read in the silence between the lines. It is viva-fying.

 

O XANTANU e A GANGA                     XANTANU and GANGA

 

O Xantanu, bom rapaz,                            Xantanu, a good boy,

como átomo de paz                                  peacefully filled with joy

ao Paraíso levado,                                    taken up to First Cause,

esqueceu todo o passado.                          forgot all that he was.

Pelos deuses convidado                             Invited by the gods

a viver bem, sem pecado                           to harp on new chords

sentou-se à santa mesa,                              he sat at their table,

mui bendito com certeza.                           ready, willing and able.

 

Mas eis que, de-repente,                            But behold, suddenly,

o Vento - uma serpente,                             the Wind, His enemy,

à Ganga os véus tira                                  disrobed Ganga, the goddess,

ao som da harpa e da lira.                           and thus anger expressed.

Os castos deuses então,                              The holy gods, then,

em divina oração,                                      unwilling to look again,

olham para outro lado,                               turned heads the other side,

seu espírito turvado.                                  their emotions to hide.

 

Mas Xantanu vai fitando                            But Xantanu kept staring

os seios dela, até quando                            at her breasts, overflowing,

os deuses disiludidos                                  till the gods in distress

mandam os dois, despidos                          sent into the wilderness

afim de na terra amar                                 undressed, both of them

pois o céu não é lugar                                 to weave an earthly poem

para fazer cousa tal                                    as heaven is not meant

que é só para casal.                                    for such lady-and-gent.

 

Ora os dois baixam à terra                           So both came down to earth

que no seu solo encerra                               where fountains without dirt

fontes de água mui pura                              feeling as humans feel

que nos livram da tortura.                            with their waters do heal.

A Ganga cá é um rio                                   The Ganga is a river here

por vezes quente ou frio.                             hot or cold, always clear.

 

O Xantanu é autor                                      Xantanu is the author

do nosso luso-vigor.                                    of life-giving water.

Veem os seus descendentes,                        His generation does come,

todos êles inocentes.                                   unable to do harm.

São bons rapazes, não maus,                       Each of them a good boy,

chegam à India em naus.                             here they come, ship ahoy !

Procuram a Ganga, mãe                              Mother India they look for.

das ninfas que seios teem,                           Her children, here below,

sereias do ultramar,                                     are mermaids, beautiful,

para com elas casar.                                    their milky breasts so full.

 

A Ganga é Rio Santo !                                The waters are so holy !

e êles ouvem o canto                                   One hears songs of glory

das Ninfas lá no fundo                                 of nymphs down below

desse rio profundo.                                      under the waters that flow.

Mas vê-os o maldito Baco                            The Enemy the boys sees !

que sabe que é mui fraco                              His anger on the increase,

seu espírito de amor                                     he plans a dirty trick -

em corpo pecador.                                       a clever little gimmick.

Com o sol a vista cega                                  They are blinded by the sun,

e dá vinho da adega                                     and take wine, everyone.

a esses bons lusitanos                                   Gripped by insanity

que êle torna insanos.                                   a crazy vision they see :

 

Logo em louca visão                                     Behold, the nymphs appear;

as Ninfas se veem; então                               each of them such a dear,

o Baco sopra o vento                                    their shining hair of gold

e com seu prévio intento                                beautiful bodies does enfold.

levanta os louros cabelos                               And the Wind blows up the hair

que cobrem seios tão belos.                           revealing their breasts so fair.

 

Então nas águas do rio                                  Then in the river water

sem sentir calor nem frio                               the mermaids do enter

se desfazem as Ninfas belas                           and in warm cold they melt

-  as aquáticas donzelas.                                with feeling most hearfelt.

 

Ficam os luso-solteiros                                  The bachelor boys remain

eternos prisioneiros                                        awaiting, but in vain.

dum sonho que fim não tem,                          It's a dream without end

e que eu sonho também.                                on which our lives depend.