Two Poems by Jhio Jan Navarro

Translated from the Filipino by Eric Abalajon

Butterfly, 1985

(with apologies to Pacita Abad)

Only in the tracing of curves can you see
the wings hidden by a burst of a thousand
drawings, shapes, color.
Even so, the wings are not slaves of the eyes.
They carry the memory of the fields, quickly fluttering.
Traveling the length and expanse of the canvas.
Resting in the corners, and sometimes squeezing
into the petals of the unknown flowers.
Avoiding the gaze. Misleading the stare.
The curious finger of the child
thinking the butterfly is only the wings.

Butterfly, 1985

(pasintabi kay Pacita Abad)

Tanging sa pagsunod sa mga kurba maaninag
ang mga pakpak na ikinukubli ng sambulat ng sanlaksang
guhit, hugis at kulay.
Gayon pa man, hindi bihag ng mata ang pakpak.
Taglay ang alaala ng parang, matulin na papagaspas.
Babagtas sa haba at lapad ng kambas.
Sasalimbay sa mga sulok, at minsa’y magsusumiksik
sa mga talulot ng hindi matukoy na bulaklak.
Iniiwasan ang tingin. Inililihis ang titig,
ang mapang-usig na daliri ng musmos
na nag-akalang ang paruparo ay ang pakpak

Clearing the Tall Grass

(after Grasshopper (1985) by Pacita Abad)

One’s gaze can’t truly capture
the grasshopper amid
the explosion of green,
yellow, blue, and purple.

A reminder that it is not always
the dragonfly and butterfly who are betrayed
by their wings in the dense field
of will and desire.

Paghawi sa Talahib

(pagkatapos ng Grasshopper (1985) ni Pacita Abad)

Hindi mahulihuli ng titig
ang tipaklong sa gitna
ng himutok ng lunti,
dilaw, asul, at lila.

Tila paalala na hindi laging
tutubi at paruparo na ipagkakanulo
ng pakpak sa masukal na parang
ang nais at nasa.

Jhio Jan Navarro hails from the island of Negros in the Philippines. The ecology and history of this place figure prominently in his work, ranging from the contradictions in sugarcane plantations to finding philosophical insights in the life cycles of local flora and fauna. He has also taken interest in abstract depictions of nature in the work of Ivatan/Filipino-American artist Pacita Abad (1946-2004). Translations of his poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Modern Poetry in Translation, Asymptote, and Poetry Northwest. He is currently based in the island of Panay, working as an Instructor at the University of the Philippines Visayas.

Eric Abalajon’s translations have appeared in Circumference Magazine, The Polyglot, Exchanges: Journal of Literary Translation, and Tripwire: a journal of poetics. His debut poetry collection Invitation to See the Leaves Outside is forthcoming from FlowerSong Press. He lives near Iloilo City, Philippines. 

Published April 15 2024