At Five in the Evening Poem by Jacques Roubaud

to Lucy, in memoriam

Lucy begins the ascent
sunlight gleams on the Rockies
the sky's capacious
trees cling to rock
breezes swell with sunlight

At five in the evening

Lucy bounds over every crevasse
trees have vanished
bushes have vanished
the vultures wheel away
the flowers s'hush

It's five in the evening
It's five in the evening on every clock

At five in the evening

The Iberia flight takes off from the Sierra Nevada
with 365 matadors aboard - Belmonte
Ordoñez, Dominguín, Manolete,
Conchita Cintrón,
Rafael de Paula, Joselito,
El Yiyo -
It's five in the evening

The plane lands on the vast snowy arena's rim
stilled is the sun
the light brightens
stars look on

At five in the evening

Lucy dons the suit of lights from her bundle -
chaquetilla, chaleco, taleguilla
camisa, pañoleta, faja
zapatillas -
and the little coleta

At five in the evening

One by one
the three bulls enter the arena -
Desertor, Bailador, Islero -
bulls made of crystal
their hooves flail the snow
flinging shards of ice

At the stroke of five

Lucy triumphs
two ears and the tail her reward
all congratulate her
Federico García Lorca congratulates her
Don Pepe Bergamín, Bernard Manciet congratulate her

It is five in the evening
It will always be five in the evening