Vicente Huidobro
Vicente Huidobro, “none of the above”
Chile has been called “the land of the poets”, and for once, it is true! There was a golden generation of poets that collected fame and awards for Chile. The magnificent 4: Gabriela Mistral, Pablo Neruda, Pablo de Rokha and Vicente Huidobro. So, I decided to write about them provided that their work has been extensively into other languages and each in personal style represents a time and a voice for Chile. I will start with my personal favorite: Vicente Huidobro.
Vivente Garcia-Huidobro Fernandez was born in a very prominent and wealthy family in Santiago de Chile in 1893. After having spent his early years in Europe, he came back to study at San Ignacio school, iconic Jesuit school in Santiago. Moved forward to the Universidad de Chile where he started publishing his first poems of modernistic tendency. Once graduated, in 1912, he marries Manuela Portales Bello, also of impeccable background. In 1913, along with Pablo de Rokha he started the magazine “Azul”, where he exposed his esthetic ideas and religious doubts, which sent him in collision course with his family. From now on he would sign his work only as Vicente Huidobro.
The first war found him in Paris, where he had moved with his wife and children. During this time he will join the Parisian avant-garde, befriending artists such as Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, Guilloume Apollinaire, Tristan Tzara, Jean Cocteau and Andre Breton. He will travel back and forth between Paris and Madrid collaborating with Tzara and the Dada movement. In this time he publishes “The Water Mirror”, his first creationistic piece and “Un Voyage en Parachute”, the first version of his master piece, “Altazor”. Also, in 1920, he writes along L´Corbusier in the magazine Le Spirit Nuveau.
By 1925 he is back in Chile, where he joins the Communist party and starts his legendary battle with Mistral, De Rokha and Neruda. In 1934, he publishes in complete version “Cagliostro”, ground braking piece labeled as “a novel-film”. In 1942 he publishes his second edition, first in Chile of his take on the “Mio Cid Campeador” ( the equivalent of Beowulf for us in Spanish) and goes back to Europe to work as war correspondent and walks into Berlin with the allies.
Returns to Chile with severe wounds and retrieves to the beach town of Cartagena where he will die of a massive brain stroke shortly after.
The work of Huidobro is still studied with fascination in Europe, particularly his creationistic and Dadaistic works, yet he was also a poet of small moments such as the one posted here. The translation is personal, I hope you don´t mind:
DAYS AND NIGHTS I HAVE SOUGHT FOR YOU
Days and nights I have sought for you
Not finding the place in which you sing
I have sought for you up time and downstream
You are lost amid the tears
Nights and days I have sought for you
Not finding the place in which you are crying
Because I know you are crying
It is enough for me to look in the mirror
To know that you are crying and that have cried for me
Only you save the cry
And from an obscure poplar
A king is crowned by your hand.
Vicente Huidobro, “none of the above”
Chile has been called “the land of the poets”, and for once, it is true! There was a golden generation of poets that collected fame and awards for Chile. The magnificent 4: Gabriela Mistral, Pablo Neruda, Pablo de Rokha and Vicente Huidobro. So, I decided to write about them provided that their work has been extensively into other languages and each in personal style represents a time and a voice for Chile. I will start with my personal favorite: Vicente Huidobro.
Vivente Garcia-Huidobro Fernandez was born in a very prominent and wealthy family in Santiago de Chile in 1893. After having spent his early years in Europe, he came back to study at San Ignacio school, iconic Jesuit school in Santiago. Moved forward to the Universidad de Chile where he started publishing his first poems of modernistic tendency. Once graduated, in 1912, he marries Manuela Portales Bello, also of impeccable background. In 1913, along with Pablo de Rokha he started the magazine “Azul”, where he exposed his esthetic ideas and religious doubts, which sent him in collision course with his family. From now on he would sign his work only as Vicente Huidobro.
The first war found him in Paris, where he had moved with his wife and children. During this time he will join the Parisian avant-garde, befriending artists such as Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, Guilloume Apollinaire, Tristan Tzara, Jean Cocteau and Andre Breton. He will travel back and forth between Paris and Madrid collaborating with Tzara and the Dada movement. In this time he publishes “The Water Mirror”, his first creationistic piece and “Un Voyage en Parachute”, the first version of his master piece, “Altazor”. Also, in 1920, he writes along L´Corbusier in the magazine Le Spirit Nuveau.
By 1925 he is back in Chile, where he joins the Communist party and starts his legendary battle with Mistral, De Rokha and Neruda. In 1934, he publishes in complete version “Cagliostro”, ground braking piece labeled as “a novel-film”. In 1942 he publishes his second edition, first in Chile of his take on the “Mio Cid Campeador” ( the equivalent of Beowulf for us in Spanish) and goes back to Europe to work as war correspondent and walks into Berlin with the allies.
Returns to Chile with severe wounds and retrieves to the beach town of Cartagena where he will die of a massive brain stroke shortly after.
The work of Huidobro is still studied with fascination in Europe, particularly his creationistic and Dadaistic works, yet he was also a poet of small moments such as the one posted here. The translation is personal, I hope you don´t mind:
DAYS AND NIGHTS I HAVE SOUGHT FOR YOU
Days and nights I have sought for you
Not finding the place in which you sing
I have sought for you up time and downstream
You are lost amid the tears
Nights and days I have sought for you
Not finding the place in which you are crying
Because I know you are crying
It is enough for me to look in the mirror
To know that you are crying and that have cried for me
Only you save the cry
And from an obscure poplar
A king is crowned by your hand.
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