Tres Poemas: III. Ay, la nube
A cry of despair and helplessness, setting poetry by Rosario Castellanos.
3 min • Composed 2023 • Purchase: Solo soprano & pianoComposer’s notes
Rosario Castellanos was a Mexican poet and author. Her works express her concern about gender issues as well as the plight of indigenous peoples. Castellanos was a promoter of literacy in impoverished communities and during her life suffered from severe depression, dying relatively young for her time. I was given the exciting opportunity to compose something with mariachi influences, setting Castellanos’ powerful imagery of God’s creation. This piece depicts the plight of someone in a helpless situation, trying desperately to be something they’re not.
This piece was commissioned by Citlalli Bejarano.
Lyrics
Text from Rosario Castellanos' poem, "Tres Poemas: III. Ay, la nube."
Oh, the cloud that wants to be an arrow in the sky
or the halo of God,
or a shaft of lightning.
And at each draft its form changes and it disappears;
each wind blows to its own direction and misleads it.
Frayed rag, dirty fleece
without substance, without force, nothing, cloud.
Ay, la nube que quiere ser la flecha del cielo
o la aureola de Dios o el puño del relámpago.
Y a cada aire su forma cambia y se desvanece
y cada viento arrastra su rumbo y extravía.
Deshilachado harapo, vellón sucio,
sin entraña, sin fuerza, nada, nube.
Perusal score
