Canción de amor para los Nazis en Baveria / Love song for the Nazis in Baveria

Poem by Nestor Perlongher. English translation by Liz Henry.

CANCION DE AMOR
PARA LOS NAZIS EN BAVIERA

 
Marlene Dietrich
cantaba en Londres una canción entre la guerra:
Oh no no no es cierto que me quieras
Oh no no no es cierto que me quieras
Sólo quieres a tu padre, Nelson, que murió en Trafalgar
y ese amor es sospechoso, Nelson
porque tu papá
era nazi!
Era el apogeo de la aliadofilia
debajo de las mesas aplastábamos soldados alemanes
pero yo estaba sentada junto a ti, Nelson
que eras un agente nazi
Y me dabas puntapiés

Oh no no no es cierto que me quieras
Ay ay ay me dabas puntapiés

Ceremoniosamente me pedías perdón
posabas una estola de visón sobre mis hombros
y nos íbamos a hacer
el amor a mi buhardilla
pero tú descubrías a Ana Frank en los huecos
y la cremabas, Nelson, oh

Oh no no no es cierto que me quieras
Ay ay ay me dabas puntapiés
Heil heil heil eres un agente nazi

Más acá o más allá de esta historieta
estaba tu pistola de soldado de Rommel
ardiendo como arena en el desierto
un camello extenuado que llegaba al oasis
de mi orto u ocaso o crepúsculo que me languidecía
y yo sentía el movimiento de tu svástica en mis tripas
oh oh oh

LOVE SONG FOR THE NAZIS IN BAVARIA

Marlene Dietrich
sang a song in London during the war:
Oh no no no it’s not certain that you loved me
Oh no no no it’s not certain that you loved me
You only loved your dad, Nelson, who died at Trafalgar
and that love is suspicious, Nelson
’cause your dad
was a Nazi!
It was the apogee of Ally-philia
under the table we played crushing german soldiers
but I used to sit next to you, Nelson
you who were a nazi agent
And you kicked me hard

Oh no no no who knows if you loved me
Ay ay ay you always kicked me

Ceremoniously you begged my pardon
you settled a mink stole over my shoulders
and we were going to make
love in my attic
but you discovered Anne Frank in the eaves
and you cremated her, Nelson, oh

Oh no no no who knows if you loved me
Ay ay ay you always kicked me
Heil heil heil you’re a nazi spy

Here or faraway in this little fable
you were a pistol from Rommel’s army
burning like sand in the desert
a dying camel coming finally to the oasis
of my arse or sunset or twilight ravishing
and I was feeling the movement of your swastika in my guts
oh oh oh

4 thoughts on “Canción de amor para los Nazis en Baveria / Love song for the Nazis in Baveria

  1. matías: looking at it now, after 10 years…. I think that was taking liberties in the wrong imaginary direction, and it should be something less flowery and imaginary, and more dirty. I’ll have to think of something better. How would you translate it?

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