Poetry Friday: Los zapaticos de rosa

The poem in my pocket yesterday was a childhood favorite: "Los zapaticos de rosa" by Cuban poet Jose Martí (picture book edition illustrated by Lulu Delacre; Lectorum, 1997). I chose it in honor of my mother, whose birthday was yesterday, too. When I was little I used to make her recite it to me every night before bed. She knows it by heart; the way, I suspect, many Cubans (and Cuban-Americans) do. These are the opening lines:

Hay sol bueno y mar de espuma
Y arena fina, y Pilar
Quiere salir a estrenar
Su sombrerito de pluma.

¡Feliz cumpleaños, Mami!

[This week's Poetry Friday roundup is at The Well-Read Child (which also happens to be one of my favorite kidlit blogs).]

Comments

[Jill (The Well-Read Child)]

What a wonderful memory to have! And I know just enough Spanish to understand the opening lines. Happy belated birthday to your mother!

[Anamaria]

Thank you, Jill! I was surprised at how many lines I remembered myself. I wish I could find a good translation: I couldn't even come up with one for the title (The Rose-Colored Shoes? The Little Pink Shoes? The Shoes of Rosy Pink? no).