Poem from Gloria Bell

March 15, 2019 1:11 PM

This morning I saw the film Gloria Bell. I would love to find the poem Arnold reads to Gloria from what looks like a book of Latin American poetry. Google isn’t helping. Any leads or suggestions you may have would be great.
posted by Nathanial Hörnblowér to Media & Arts (4 answers total)

Best answer: "He even wears a girdle, runs a paintball course, and sweetly recites the work of Latin American poet Claudio Bertoni, just like in the original."

"...Claudio Bertoni's 1946 poem "Para Una Joven Amiga Que Intentó Quitarse La Vida" (roughly 'for a young (female) friend who intended suicide') from a volume of South American romantic poesy."
posted by MonkeyToes at 1:32 PM on March 15, 2019 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Awesome! Any idea where an English translation can be found?
posted by Nathanial Hörnblowér at 5:05 PM on March 15, 2019

Best answer: Previously! "...this is from a subtitle file for the [earlier "Gloria"] film:"

"I'd like to be a nest if you were a little bird.
I'd like to be a scarf if you were a neck and were cold.
If you were music, I'd be an ear.
If you were water, I'd be a glass.
If you were light, I'd be an eye.
If you were a foot, I'd be a sock.
If you were the sea, I'd be a beach.
And if you were still the sea, I'd be a fish,
and I'd swim in you.
And if you were the sea, I'd be salt.
And if I were salt, you'd be lettuce,
an avocado or at least a fried egg.
And if you were a fried egg,
I 'd be a piece of bread.
And if I were a piece of bread,
you'd be butter or jam.
If you were jam,
I'd be the peach in the jam.
If I were a peach,
you'd be a tree.
And if you were a tree,
I'd be your sap...
and I'd course through your arms like blood.
And if I were blood,
I'd live in your heart."
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:18 PM on March 15, 2019 [5 favorites]

Response by poster: Thank you so much!
posted by Nathanial Hörnblowér at 5:36 PM on March 15, 2019