And I was defeated,I, without violence,with honey and words.And, alone, in provincesof sand and wind,solitary, captive.And, someone’s shadow,one hundred gates of centuriesdammed my blood.Oh, lights! With me!For I was defeated,I, without violence,with honey and words. El Ángel MentirosoY fui derrotadayo, sin violencia,con miel y palabras.Y, sola, en provinciasde arena y de viento,sin hombre, cautiva.Y, sombra de alguien,cien puertas de siglostapiaron mi sangre.¡Ay luces! ¡Conmigo!Que fui derrotadayo, sin violencia,con miel y palabras.
The Lying Angel
Rafael Alberti
Translated from the Spanish by John Murillo
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English translation of “The Lying Angel” from Concerning the Angel © 2025 by John Murillo.
Published 2025 by Four Way Books.
Originally published in Spanish under the title “El ángel mentiroso” from Sobre los ángeles by Rafael Alberti.
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Considered one of the major Spanish poets of the 20th century, Rafael Alberti (1902–1999) was the author of over twenty volumes of poetry, including Marinero en Tierra, Cal y Canto, and La Amante. He also wrote several plays and the celebrated memoir, La Arboleda Perdida (The Lost Grove). His many honors include the Premio Cervantes, the America Award, and the Lenin Peace Prize among others. Sobre los ángeles (Concerning the Angels) is regarded by many as his magnum opus.
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Marcus Jackson
Marcus Jackson
John Murillo is the author of the poetry collections Up Jump the Boogie and Kontemporary Amerikan Poetry. His honors include the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award, the Four Quartets Prize from the T.S. Eliot Foundation and the Poetry Society of America, and the Lucille Clifton Legacy Award from St. Mary’s College of Maryland. He is a professor of English and teaches in the MFA program at Hunter College.
Volume 18, Number 1, Winter 2025
Baltimore, Maryland
Johns Hopkins University
Editor-in-Chief
Dora Malech
Senior Editors
Alejandro Lucero and Giovannai Rosa
Managing Editors
Adriana Beltrano and Iris Lee
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