You Want Me White - English Translation Poem by Ana Vazquez

You want me dawn,
want me of foam,
want me of nacre.
You want me to be lily,
above all, chaste.
Of soft perfume,
corolla closed.

Not a ray of moonlight
to have filtered me.
Not a daisy
to call herself my sister.
You want me niveous,
you want me white,
you want me dawn.

You, that has had every
cup at hand.
Of berries and honey
your lips stained.
You, that at the banquet
covered in vines
left the flesh
honoring Bacchus.
You, that in the black
gardens of deceit,
dressed in red,
ran towards ravage.

You, that still keeps
the skeleton intact.
I don't know yet
by what miracle
you wish me white
(God forgive you) ,
you wish me chaste
(God forgive you) ,
you wish me dawn!

Run to the forests,
go to the mountain;
wash your mouth;
live in the cabins;
feed your body
with bitter roots;
drink from the rocks;
sleep over the frost;
renue your tissues
with saltpeter and water;
talk to with the birds
and rise at dawn.
And when your flesh
has been turned,
and when you have thrown
on them your soul,
that in the chambers
you left entangled.
Then, good sir,
wish me white,
wish me niveous,
wish me chaste.