Comments on: 5 Poems by Julia de Burgos on Love and Identity

By: Nava Atlas

Nava Atlas — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 22:05:30 +0000

Hi Kevin — I couldn’t find anything like this by Julia de Bourgos, but is it possible that you’re referring to Rebelde by Juana de Ibarbourou? Here it is in English: https://biblioasistranslation.blogspot.com/2014/07/five-spanish-american-southern-cone.html (5th poem down) and in Spanish: https://letras-uruguay.espaciolatino.com/ibarbourou/rebelde.htm — if not, then I’m stumped as well!

By: Kevin MacLean

Kevin MacLean — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 21:13:01 +0000

Many years ago I came across a poem by Julia de Burgos that mentioned Charon and his dark, dank realm, contrasting it with the vivid color and warmth of a tropical rainforest. The symbolic contrast between “classical” literature and her own goal in writing was absolutely brilliant. I resold the college textbook where I read it and now am searching for it to share. Not much luck since I don’t remember the title or volume title…and Google doesn’t seem to, either.
Any leads?

By: Nava Atlas

Nava Atlas — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 01:54:04 +0000

In reply to G. ESTHER SARDINAS. Hello Esther — I wish I could help, but I'm not familiar with that work and a quick search on google didn't come up with any results ... good luck with your search!

By: G. ESTHER SARDINAS

G. ESTHER SARDINAS — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 23:33:46 +0000

I’M LOOKING FOR A POEM MY FATHER RECITED TO US ABOUT “UN SIERVO THAT HAD BIG ANTLERS AND VERY SKINNY LEGS.
PEDIA AL CIELO QUE LO AYUDARA. HE LOOKED VERY UGLY AND HE WAS NOT HAPPY WITH HIS OVERALL APPEARANCE. DO NOT THE AUTHOR ONLY A FAINT GENERAL IDEA. I WAS A YOUNG TEEN TODAY I’M A GREAT G/MOTHER. LOVE TO FIND THAT POEM.

By: Nava Atlas

Nava Atlas — Sun, 23 Aug 2020 16:16:02 +0000

In reply to Hugh English.

Hello Hugh — how great that you’ll be teaching a couple of the poems of Julia de Burgos. Truth be told, these translations are all over the web and most often the name of the translator is not attached to them, which, now that you pointed it out, doesn’t seem right. It’s possible that some are from Becoming Julia de Burgos by Vanessa Pérez Rosario (https://solidarity-us.org/atc/187/p4905/), or at least, that volume might have some info on who it was that has translated her poetry.

For more fascinating information that may interest your students, the NY Times did one of the “Overlooked No More” obituaries for her: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/02/obituaries/overlooked-julia-de-burgos.html

I’ll also see if the contributor of this collection of poems may have an idea about their translator.

By: Hugh English

Hugh English — Sun, 23 Aug 2020 15:54:53 +0000

Thank you for this site.
Could you give the name of the translator of these poems by Julia de Burgos?
I ask primarily in order to honor the literary work of literary and especially poetic translation.
I also ask because I am including a couple of these poems in my FALL 2020 Introduction to Poetry and my FALL 2020 Readings in American Literature college courses, both taught in the Department of English and in English. I will assign both the original poems in Spanish and also the translations into English, and–for obvious reasons–I would like to credit the translator. I have very rudimentary Spanish, but I can say that these translations into English make wonderful poems in English.
Thank you for whatever information you may be able to provide.