Ode to: The Ice Maiden of Ampatos Summit [now in: English and Spanish]

Ded?cate to Antonio Castillo. L. Of. Los Andes Universitario

Ode to:

The Ice Maiden Of Ampato's Summit

English Version

Part One The Climb

In the spring of my life, in my village

By the Andes, I awoke one morning

To find I was chosen for a journey

How shall I say: to the summit of Ampato!

Ampato, our sacred mountain

I climbed with our holy priests.

I found myself twenty-thousand feet high;

I would be the sacrificial offering

Ordained so, by our celestial chief priest.

Once on top, death could scarcely be

Any bitter than its wild arduous winds;

And the icy cold Andean ceremony?.

And there I sat, within the clouds, and rested

With figurines of silver and gold,

And beautiful textiles adorning me

All dressed, in fine indulgent funerary,

I was to be, the Inca Ice Maiden

Now ready for death and burial.

'I hoped the gods of Ampato,' so I prayed

'Are pleased today'; for my body,

Will be frozen soon, anyway.

Yet, I'm so very cold, and my hands clutch,

To my dress-tightly, against my side;

I cannot see anything vividly.

Thus, the holy moment has come for me

I died with every hope that was.

(Five-hundred years ago!...)

Part Two Beyond Death

I felt my soul, my spirit, fall, falling

In this thick discolored air,

After a very, very long silence;

No woman, though woman I once was,

Once was, and now my blood lumped

Lumped and frozen like ice knobs.

The soul maker, from whom gave me

My first breath at birth?

He is coming now, He's nearby

As I reply, He sees my soul cry-

My tears, frozen tears?melt

I will be, resurrected (He tells me)

He rules the earth, its mountains

All its waters and skies,

His holy Inca city, must be nearby?

'Lead me,' I sigh, a lowly sigh-

'Lead me to this Holy Inca City,

And leave my cold ill body behind.'

And He smiles, as he leads me

Leads me with untouchable hands,

Leads me to the Holy City!... #748 7/4/05

∆

In Spanish/Espa?ol

Translated by Nancy Pe?aloza Edited by Rosa Pe?aloza

La Doncella de Hielo De la Cumbre de Ampato

Versi?n en espa?ol

Primera parte

La Subida

En la primavera de mi vida, en mi pueblo Por los Andes, despert? una ma?ana Para encontrar que fui escogida para un viaje.

Como voy a decir: ?A la cumbre de Ampato! Ampato, nuestra monta?a sagrada Sub? con nuestros santos sacerdotes.

Me encontr? a 20,000 pies de altura; Yo ser?a el sacrificio ofrecido Ordenado as?, por nuestro celestial sacerdote principal

Una vez en la cima, la muerte apenas podr?a ser Nada m?s amarga, que sus arduos vientos salvajes; Y la ceremonia andina fr?a helada-.

Y all? me sent?, entre las nubes, y descans?

Con las estatuillas de plata y oro,

Y el textil hermoso adorn?ndome

Toda vestida, en el fino funerario indulgente, Yo deb?a ser, la Doncella Inca de Hielo

Ahora lista para la muerte y el entierro.

"Esper? que los dioses de Ampato", por eso rec? "Est?n contentos hoy d?a"; por que mi cuerpo, Ser? congelado pronto, de todos modos.

Todav?a, tengo tanto fr?o, y mis manos enganchadas, A mi vestido- fuertemente, contra mi costado; No puedo ver nada v?vidamente.

As?, el momento sagrado ha venido para m? Muero con cada esperanza que hubo. (?Quinientos a?os atr?s!....)

Segunda Parte

M?s All? de la Muerte

Sent? mi alma, mi esp?ritu, caer, cayendo En este aire espeso decolorado, Despu?s de un, muy largo silencio

Ninguna mujer, aunque mujer fui una vez Una vez fui, y ahora mi sangre amontonada Amontonada y congelada como copos de hielo.

El Hacedor del alma, por quien mi primer aliento Me fue dado al nacer.... El est? viniendo ahora, El est? muy cerca.

Como respondo, El ve mi alma llorar- Mis l?grimas, l?grimas heladas...derretirse Yo ser?, resucitada (me dice El)

El gobierna la tierra, sus monta?as Todas sus aguas y cielos, Sus ciudades Incas santas deben esta cerca?

"Gu?ame" yo suspiro, un suspiro humilde "Gu?ame a esta ciudad santa Inca, Y deja mi helado cuerpo enfermo atr?s".

Y El sonr?e, mientras me gu?a ?Gui?ndome con sus intocables manos, Gui?ndome a la ciudad santa! .....

#748 4 de Julio del 2005

Dennis Siluk Poet, see his new book "Spell of the Andes," at http://www.amazon.com

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