The moon, by Jaime Sabines -a translation by WS Merwin

a moon leaf

The Moon

by Jaime Sabines

You can take the moon in spoonfuls
or in tablets once every two hours.
It works as a hypnotic and a sedative
and also provides relief
for those who have an overdose of philosophy.
A piece of moon in your pocket
is a better charm than a rabbit's paw:
it helps to find someone to love,
to be rich without anybody knowing
and keeps doctors and hospitals away.
You can give it as a dessert to children
when they can't get to sleep,
and a few drops of moon in the eyes of the old
help to die well.
Put a tender moon leaf
under your pillow
and you will see what you would like to see
and always carry a little bottle of moon air
for when you feel you're suffocating
and give the moon's key
to prisoners, and the disenchanted.
For those sentenced to death
and those condemned to life
there is no better tonic than the moon
in precisely measured doses.

Jaime Sabines (1926 - 1999)


BIOGRAPHY

Octavio Paz called Jaime Sabines “one of the greatest contemporary poets” of the Spanish language. Born in 1926 in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, Sabines made his way to Mexico City as a young man to study medicine; three years later, he would turn to literature and never look back. His work, focused on portraying the everyday lives of ordinary people, has been translated into over twelve languages and has been honored with several prestigious awards in his own country, including the Xavier Villaurrutia Award (1972) and the National Literature Award (1983). In addition to his literary pursuits, Sabines led an active political life in both his home state of Chiapas and his adopted hometown, Mexico City. He died in 1999.

I recently was introduced to this poet, someone also who studied medicine. Perhaps there is something about being so close to human suffering and yes, human miracles as well that helps us understand the need to"carry a little bottle of moon air" wherever we go and that "there is no better tonic than the moon".oh, the moon of summer , not just tonic, but mystifying elixir.....