Celebrating the 109 years of Carlos Drummond de Andrade

A century ago, a great poet was born: Carlos Drummond de Andrade.

With his birth (31^st of October) the poetic world has been gifted with a literary gem, both in poetry as in prose.

Those who are familiar with his work know that he could make of any daily issue a lyrical poem.

From politics to his own illness, from war to a ride on a trolley; anything became poetry when expressed in words by Drummond. A true magician with his mind and ink as his only tools.

This Brazilian poet, recognized as one of the greatest writers of all time, has had his works translated in different languages, and has been appreciated through many decades by everyone who likes poetry.

Drummond was a nonconformist, a poet who did not care about the conservative criticism.

One of his poems actually stirred the anger of many of those critics; this same poem became one of his most famous poems, as well a symbol for the modernist movement in the Brazilian literature.

No meio do caminho

No meio do caminho tinha uma pedra
tinha uma pedra no meio do caminho
tinha uma pedra
no meio do caminho tinha uma pedra.

Nunca me esquecerei desse acontecimento
na vida de minhas retinas tão fatigadas.
Nunca me esquecerei que no meio do caminho
tinha uma pedra
tinha uma pedra no meio do caminho
no meio do caminho tinha uma pedra.

-by Carlos Drummond de Andrade (1930)

There are few translations of this poem into English; in my opinion, John Nist wrote the best of them.

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD

In the middle of the road was a stone
was a stone in the middle of the road
was stone
in the middle of the road was a stone.

I shall never forget that event
in the life of my so tired eyes.
I shall never forget that in the middle of the road
was a stone
was a stone in the middle of the road
in the middle of the road was a stone.

-translation by John Nist (1965)

Notice that John Nist translated the line 'No meio do caminho tinha uma pedra' exactly as Drummond intended—with the grammatical mistake. To be grammatical correct, the original line should be written as 'No meio do caminho havia uma pedra' and be translated (as it has been by other translators) as 'there was a stone in the middle of the road'. Luckily we have John Nist, who saw, understood and respected Drummond's intention!

Drummond wrote several short poems, poems about poetry, poems about not being able to put his thoughts into words. The one below is one of my favourite of his short poems.

Poesia
 
Gastei uma hora pensando em um verso
que a pena não quer escrever.
No entanto ele está cá dentro
inquieto, vivo.
Ele está cá dentro
e não quer sair.
Mas a poesia deste momento
inunda minha vida inteira.

-by Carlos Drummond de Andrade

Poetry

I spent one hour thinking of a verse
my pen does not want to write.
Yet, it is here inside
restless, alive.
It is here inside
and does not wish to get out.
But the poetry of this very moment
overflows my whole life.

-translation by Mariza G Góes

His poems about the society in Brazil, and in the world in general, have a strong voice, a voice that not only echoed his thoughts and feelings, but also of all the people who were suppressed by the government, especially in Brazil. His view of the world, often pessimistic, sometimes came with hope at the end of the tunnel. We can witness one those occasions when reading his poem, which is part of the book A Rosa do Povo.

Áporo

Um inseto cava
cava sem alarme
perfurando a terra
sem achar escape.

Que fazer, exausto,
em país bloqueado,
enlace de noite
raiz e minério?

Eis que o labirinto
(oh razão, mistério)
presto se desata:

em verde, sozinha,
antieuclidiana,
uma orquídea forma-se.

-by Carlos Drummond de Andrade

There are three meanings for the word áporo in Portuguese. 1) an insect; 2) a problem with no solution or difficult to solve; 3) a kind of green orchid. You'll notice, when reading the translation of the poem, that the three meanings are there to see, each of them distinctively. Such a subtle touch, even though unnoticed by many, was one of Drummond's amazing qualities as poet.

Aporo

An insect digs
digs without alarm
perforating the earth
without finding escape.
What to do, exhausted,
in a blocked country,
union of the night
root and mineral?
And the labyrinth
(oh reason and mystery)
suddenly untie itself:
in green, lonely,
anti-euclidean,
an orchid is born.

-translation by Mariza G Góes

To finish this birthday celebration, nothing better than one of his love poems. Despite the several poems about society, politics and even death, Drummond had the most lovely thoughts about love as well. The tenderness of his love poems shows that he was indeed a poet who could write about anything, without losing a bit of his poetic talent.

I grew up reading Drummond's poetry, and that is certainly the main reason why today I like poetry.

Inconfesso Desejo
 
Queria ter coragem
Para falar deste segredo
Queria poder declarar ao mundo
Este amor
Não me falta vontade
Não me falta desejo
Você é minha vontade
Meu maior desejo
Queria poder gritar
Esta loucura saudável
Que é estar em teus braços
Perdido pelos teus beijos
Sentindo-me louco de desejo
Queria recitar versos
Cantar aos quatros ventos
As palavras que brotam
Você é a inspiração
Minha motivação
Queria falar dos sonhos
Dizer os meus secretos desejos
Que é largar tudo
Para viver com você
Este inconfesso desejo

-by Carlos Drummond de Andrade

Ulterior Desire

I wish I had the courage
To speak of this secret
To tell the world
About this love
Isn't lack of wanting
Isn't lack of desire
You are my wanting
My greatest desire
I wish I could speak loud about
This healthy madness 
That is to be in your arms
Lost in your kisses
Feeling crazy by desire
I wish I could recite verses
Sing to the four winds
The words that spring
You're the inspiration
My motivation
I wish I could speak of dreams
Tell my secret desire
Of leaving everything
To live with you
This ulterior desire

-translation by Mariza G Góes

The Danger of High Blood Pressure

High Blood Pressure (hypertension)

What is it?

High blood pressure (hypertension) is the most prevalent cardiac medical condition in the modern world. Its characteristic is elevated blood pressure in the arteries; 140/90 mmHg, or higher, is considered high blood pressure.

When we read 140/90, it means that when the heart contracts, the pressure in the arteries is 120 millimeters of mercury, and when it relaxes, the pressure is at 70 millimeters of mercury. The pressure that occurs when the heart contracts is called systolic, and when it expands, diastolic. The higher the pressure, the more damage it brings to the body.

What causes high blood pressure?

In most of the cases, the causes of high blood pressure are unknown; however, there are some factors associated with it.

Genetics – parents or/and grandparents with hypertension condition.

Smoking – nicotine contributes to the blockage of coronary arteries.

Obesity – increases risks of arterial tension, diabetes and decreases HDL (good cholesterol).

Stress - causes the release of adrenaline forcing the heart to work harder.

Sedentary lifestyle – exercises tend to lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and increases HDL, it also strengthen the heart and improves its efficiency.

High consumption of salt – it increases the volume of blood circulating in the arteries; high volume of blood raises blood pressure.

High consumption of alcohol – it may cause functional and structural alteration of the heart and arteries.

Kidney disease – diseased kidney have less ability to regulate blood pressure, resulting in an increase of blood pressure.

Damages caused by high blood pressure

Hypertension is a chronic disease. Its effects are usually noticed after many years. The main reason to worry about it is the fact that high blood pressure is the cause of the most fatal diseases. High blood pressure increases the chance of a heart attack, stroke and irreversible damage to the retina. It can also cause osteoporosis; high blood pressure causes an elevation of the amount of calcium excreted in the urine, which in its turn leads to a loss of bone mineral.

Feet and legs may also be affected: difficulty of blood circulation in the legs and feet can cause a disease called peripheral vascular. People with such a disease often suffer with leg pain, uncomfortable numbness, wounds in the feet and legs, and also experience difficulty walking.

Symptoms of high blood pressure

Generally, hypertension is a disease that has no clearly identifiable or alarming symptoms. This is what makes it dangerous and harmful. Many people ignore suffering from hypertension! It is estimated that this number rises to one third of those affected.

It is advisable to let your blood pressure be checked regularly. Sometimes, those suffering from severe hypertension, show symptoms that can be more easily identified, e.g., headaches, eye problems, dizziness, fatigue, restlessness, buzzing sound in the ears, nose bleeding and palpitations.

High blood pressure, more than a condition, it is a disease.

Hypertension is a disease! Even if you do not feel anything, if your pressure is high, you are sick and need treatment. Never face high blood pressure as a feature of your body.

It is important that you recognize your own personal risk factors. Although you can not change some them, such as genetics or age, you certainly control and/or change other important risk factors such as weight, smoking habits, and diet, among others, that will effectively reduces the risk of becoming a high blood pressure patient.

Always ask your doctor to check your blood pressure and for an exact diagnosis of any of the symptoms.