Customer Reviews

The Doubtful Strait = El Estrecho Dudoso

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This is the first Cardenal I've read, and I found much to like. I think Cardenal has proved (much more ably than Pound) that history can be rendered in this sort of poetry. The eponymous myth of a strait that connects the great oceans, the pursut of which leads many Spaniards to their deaths is only one of poem's conceits. Each of the 25 cantos is self-contained, and each tells a fragment of the story of the rape of the native populations and the rape of the natural wealth of South America. Cardenal is judicious with metaphor, quotes deeply from texts, and editorializes in the best way possible: through careful selection of detail, like any good historian. This is a different read than most modern poetry, even Pound. I can't say it is my favorite sort of free verse, but the form suits Cardenal's aims.

Speaking of form, John Lyons gets it spot on, even delivering some line breaks in better places than the original. I know this, because the original Spanish is printed on facing pages with the English. If you are studying Spanish, as I am, this is quite handy, especially since it presents older texts and spellings than are often readily available in direct translation (why I bought it in the first place). The introduction is plenty informative and the book also thoughtfully contains a glossary of places and people that might be unfamiliar to a North American reader such as myself. One need not know any specifically Nicaraguan history, although I do recommend you read a little about Cortez and the conquistadors if this is one of your knowledge gaps.

History, poetry; Spanish, English: EL DERECHO DUDOSO/THE DOUBTFUL STRAIT strikes a perfect balance. I am now pursuing the COSMIC CANTICLE (CANTICO COSMICO) translated by Mr. Lyons, and definitely plan to read some of Cardenal's shorter poems, thanks to this. Strongly recommend.