From Florbela to Pessoa (in English): Eight poems by Maria Lúcia Dal Farra with commentary

Abstract

In 2015, Pessoa Plural published a set of poems by Maria Lúcia Dal Farra entitled De Florbela para Pessoa, com amor [From Florbela to Pessoa, with love] in which Florbela Espanca, the Portuguese poet, short story writer, and translator, addresses Fernando Pessoa from beyond the grave, suspecting him to be the elusive soul-mate she has been seeking throughout her life. Maria Lúcia structures her work around quotes from both authors, revisiting the themes that nurture most poetry―love, life, pain, and death―and provides a poignant portrayal of two of the most prominent voices of early 20th Portuguese literature. This translation (of her revised 2017 version) and the accompanying commentaries aim to invite reflection on the seemingly unlikely hypothesis that, despite their contrasting literary styles and lifestyles, their thematic preoccupations and personal philosophies often converge. Soul-mates? Perhaps not, but they are much closer kin than we might have imagined.

Keywords

• pessoa, fernando
• dal farra, maria lúcia
• espanca, florbela
• experimental poetry, portuguese
• imaginary conversations
• portuguese poetry
• poetry, modern
• translations into english