Ancient night and the unruly salt
beat at the walls of my house.
The shadow is all one, the sky
throbs now along with the ocean,
and sky and shadow erupt
in the crash of their vast conflict.
All night long they struggle;
nobody knows the name
of the harsh light that keeps slowly opening
like a languid fruit.
So on the coast comes to light,
out of seething shadow, the harsh dawn,
gnawed at by the moving salt,
swept clean by the mass of night,
bloodstained in its sea-washed crater.

(by Pablo Neruda, translated
by Alastair Reid)

La noche en Isla Negra — Pablo Neruda

Antigua noche y sal desordenada
Golpean las paredes de mi casa:
Sola es la sombra, el cielo
Es ahora un latido del océano,
Y cielo y sombra estallan
Con fragor de combate desmedido:
Toda la noche luchan
Y nadie sabe el nombre
De la cruel claridad que se irá abriendo
Como una torpe fruta:
Así nace en la costa,
De la furiosa sombra, el alba dura,
Mordida por la sal en movimiento
Barrida por el peso de la noche,
Ensangrentada en su cráter marino

 Ardiente Paciencia, a fun and romantic story enhance with the poetry of Pablo Neruda. Presented in Spanish with easy-to-follow subtitles in English. Tickets for dress rehearsal on Feb 13 are only $15! Get yours now  

Ardiente Paciencia by Antonio Skármeta at Milagro Theatre playing  Feb 13 – Mar 8
Thursdays at 7:30, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm
For tickets/info: 503-236-7253 or www.milagro.org