Decálogo del Artista - Decalogue of the Artist
I. Amarás la belleza, que es la sombra de Dios sobre
el Universo.
I. You shall love beauty, which is the shadow of God
over the Universe.
II. No hay arte ateo. Aunque no ames al Creador,
lo afirmarás creando a su semejanza.
II. There is no godless art. Although you love not the
Creator, you shall bear witness to Him/Her creating His/Her likeness.
III. No darás la belleza como cebo para los sentidos,
sino como el natural alimento del alma.
III. You shall create beauty not to excite the senses
but to give sustenance to the soul.
IV. No te será pretexto para la lujuria ni para
la vanidad, sino ejercicio divino.
IV. You shall never use beauty as a pretext for luxury
and vanity but as a spiritual devotion.
V. No la buscarás en las ferias ni llevarás
tu obra a ellas, porque la Belleza es virgen,
y la que está en las ferias no es Ella.
V. You shall not seek beauty at carnival or fair
or offer your work there, for beauty is virginal
and is not to be found at carnival or fair.
VI. Subirá de tu corazón a tu canto y te habrá
purificado a ti el primero.
VI. Beauty shall rise from your heart in song,
and you shall be the first to be purified.
VII. Tu belleza se llamará también misericordia,
y consolará el corazón de los hombres.
VII. The beauty you create shall be known
as compassion and shall console the hearts of men.
VIII. Darás tu obra como se da un hijo: restando
sangre de tu corazón.
VIII. You shall bring forth your work as a mother
brings forth her child: out of the blood of your heart.
IX. No te será la belleza opio adormecedor,
sino vino generoso que te encienda para la acción,
pues si dejas de ser hombre o mujer,
dejarás de ser artista.
IX. Beauty shall not be an opiate that puts you
to sleep but a strong wine that fires you to action,
for if you fail to be a true man or a true woman,
you will fail to be an artist.
X. De toda creación saldrás con vergüenza,
porque fué inferior a tu sueño, e inferior
a ese sueño maravilloso de Dios,
que es la Naturaleza.
X. Each act of creation shall leave you humble,
for it is never as great as your dream and always
inferior to that most marvelous dream of God
which is Nature.
- GABRIELA MISTRAL
English translation by Doris Dana (with a couple changes by me)
