Henriqueta Lisboa

Who was Henriqueta Lisboa?

Henriqueta Lisboa was a Brazilian writer. She was awarded the Prêmio Machado de Assis for her lifetime achievement by the Brazilian Academy of Letters. She is famous for her wellchosen words to create powerful poems. Her early lyrics deal with traditional poetic themes, while her later poems like Echo, she mysteriously magnifies the effect of a single image. Several of her poems were translated into other languages: English, French, Spanish, Latin and German. Some of them below:

The echo – translated by Blanca Lobo Filho

A green parrot let out a shrill scream. Rock in sudden anger, replied

In the woods there rose a great riot. Thousands of parrots shouted the shoutes the rock repeated.

From one side to another bombarding the space the shrieks came down came down like steel.

Very sharp shouts!

But no one died.

wah.

Ein Dichter war im Krieg - translated by Blanca Lobo Filho

Ein Dichter war im Krieg Tag für Tag, für lange Jahre,

Nahm teil am Chaos, am Betrug, am Hunger.

Ein Dichter war im Krieg. Im Schnee und unter Kugeln begegnete er Welten und Menschem Menschen die töteten und Menschen die bloss starben.

Ein Dichter war im Krieg wie jeder andere, tötend.