Rafael Pino Roca

Rafael Pino Roca

Rafael Pino Roca (Guayaquil, October 24, 1878 – 1963) was an Ecuadorian poet and playwright. From 1908-1911 he was appointed Captain of the Port of Guayaquil by General Eloy Alfaro. In 1915 his play La Pólvora, which was co-written with his friend César Borja Lavayen, was brought to the stage in the Olmedo Theater of Guayaquil. In 1916 he was named Minister of War, Navy and Aviation in the government of President Alfredo Baquerizo Moreno. In 1931 he was named Ecuador’s Consul General in Bremen and Prague, and in 1935 he was put in charge of trade with Berlin. Pino’s most praised work is Canto a la Raza (1934), about the discovery and conquest of the Americas.

Poem

HOW DID THEY COME TO KNOW?

Translated by Richard Gabela on 4/9/2024

“How did they come to know?” – you inquire –
of the love we pledged to each other
that night, whispering softly,
just between us,
if only the heavens and God
stood as our witnesses?

I’ve spent countless hours
contemplating that moment,
to unmask the vile betrayer
who clumsily exposed us,
and after much investigation,
I’ve identified the backstabber
who, out of envy, my dearest,
scandalously outed us.

Let me narrate their tale,
for it was imprudent of us
to confess our love
while perched upon that balcony.
High above, I recall,
your voice’s sweetness
was savored with delight
by an enchanted star.

That star, my beloved,
envious of our union,
of the sacred love
we vowed to each other,
captivated by the caresses
and the melody of your voice,
which resembles the cooing of a dove,
and by the radiant glow
of your eyes’ solar flares,
which the sun itself would covet,
descended from its lofty perch
and submerged in the ocean deep…
It forsake the sky for our sake…
What bliss for us both!

And as it fell, it entrusted our secret to the waves;
from the waves to the oar,
and from the oar to the fisherman,
from the fisherman to the village,
and from the village… who knows,
but the truth remains that all know
we love each other.

¿Qué cómo lo saben?

¿Qué cómo saben, -preguntas-
que nos juramos amor
aquella noche al oído
despacito tú y yo
si por testigos tuvimos
tan sólo al cielo y a Dios?

He pasado horas enteras
meditando en la ocasión
de descubrir al infame
que torpe nos traicionó,
y al fin, de tanto indagar
he descubierto a traidor
que por envidia, bien mío,
infame nos delató.

Voy a contarte su historia
pues fue poca precaución
declarar que nos amábamos
asomados al balcón.
Recuerdo que allá en la altura
las dulzuras de tu voz
escuchaba con deleite
un lucero encantador.

Ese lucero, bien mío,
celoso de nuestra unión,
de aquel amor tan divino
que nos juramos tú y yo,
hechizado en las ternuras
y en el timbre de tu voz
que es arrullo de paloma,
y el luminoso esplendor
de los soles de tus ojos
que envidiara el mismo sol,
desprendiose de la altura
y en el mar se sepultó…
Dejó el cielo por nosotros…
¡Qué dicha la de los dos!

Y en su caída, a las olas
nuestro secreto confió;
de las olas pasó al remo
y del remo al pescador,
del pescador a la villa,
de la villa… qué sé yo,
lo cierto es que todos saben
que nos amamos los dos.

Selected works

Poetry

  • Canto a la Raza (1934)
  • Mosaicos (1963) – a posthumous collection of his poems.

Plays

  • La Pólvora (1915) – co-written with César Borja Lavayen
  • El virrey penitente, drama en 3 actos (1960)

Non fiction

  • Estudio de la Genealogía de mis Antepasados

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *