Álvaro de Campos

Procrastination

The day after tomorrow, yes, only the day after tomorrow . . .
Tomorrow I'll start thinking about the day after tomorrow,
Maybe I could do it then; but not today . . .
No, nothing today; today I can't.
The confused persistence of my objective subjectivity,
The sleep of my real life, intercalated,
Anticipated, infinite weariness-
I'm worlds too weary to catch a trolley-
That kind of soul . . .
Only the day after tomorrow . . .
Today I want to prepare,
I want to prepare myself for tomorrow, when I'll think about the next day . . .
That'd be decisive.
I've already got the plans sketched out, but no, today I'm not making plans . . .
Tomorrow's the day for plans.
Tomorrow I'll sit down at my desk to conquer the world;
But I'll only conquer the world the day after tomorrow . . .
I feel like crying,
I suddenly feel like crying a lot, inside . . .
That's all you're getting today, it's a secret, I'm not talking.
Only the day after tomorrow . . .
When I was a kid the Sunday circus diverted me every week.
Today all that diverts me is the Sunday circus from all the weeks of my childhood . . .
The day after tomorrow I'll be someone else,
My life will triumph,
All my real qualities-intelligent, well-read, practical-
Will be gathered together in a public notice . . .
But the public notice'll go up tomorrow . . .
Today I want to sleep, I'll make a fair copy tomorrow . . .
For today, what show will repeat my childhood to me?
Even if I buy tickets tomorrow,
The show would still really be the day after tomorrow . . .
Not before . . .
The day after tomorrow I'll have the public pose I will have practiced tomorrow.
The day after tomorrow I'll finally be what I could never be today.
Only the day after tomorrow . . .
I'm sleepy as a stray dog's chill.
I'm really sleepy.
Tomorrow I'll tell you everything, or the day after tomorrow . . .
Yes, maybe only the day after tomorrow . . .

By and by . . .
Yes, by and by . . .

(4/14/28)

[trans. Chris Daniels & Dana Stevens]

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