Yesterday I reread Pablo Neruda’s “Te recuerdo como eras….” (‘I remember you as you were’). I read the original Spanish glancing at the translation for words I wasn’t sure about. Then I reread the original poem aloud.

But, with my halting Spanish, there was something so frustrating about the experience. As if I couldn’t connect with the poem, as if my linguistic limitations got in the way of the poetic experience.

Borges said that

Truly fine poetry must be read aloud. A good poem does not allow itself to be read in a low voice or silently. If we can read it silently, it is not a valid poem: a poem demands pronounciation. Poetry always remembers that it was an oral art. It remembers that it was first song.

So I searched for an audio recording of Neruda reading his poem. Listening to it, I found it interesting that we paused at different times, our rhythms differed.

But once I started silently reading the words along with him, something changed. It became a more intimate experience, there was a stronger connection to Neruda’s longing.

Have a listen and see what you think:

click here: Te recuerdo como eras..

(The original text is on the same page – under the recording box – if you want to follow along).

Here is the English version: