Piled-Up Hardships - Carmem Soler

The poem Penas Encimadas by the Paraguayan poet Carmem Soler.

Penas Encimadas

Piled-Up Hardships

Voy a decirlo de entrada para el que quiera entender: Son penas muy encimadas el ser pobre y ser mujer. Trabaja toda la vida apenas para comer. Tiene las penas del pobre y más las de ser mujer. La rica tiene derechos, la pobre tiene deber, Ya es mucho sufrir por pobre y encima por ser mujer. Está tan desamparada y es madre y padre a la vez. Derechos, ni el de la queja, por ser pobre y ser mujer. Se hacen muchos discursos sobre su heroísmo de ayer. En el papel la respetan. Pero sólo en el papel. Y lo repito de nuevo para el que quiera entender: Son penas muy encimadas el ser pobre y ser mujer.

I'm going to say it right away For those who want to understand: There are piled-up hardships in being poor and being a woman. She works her entire life only to eat in the end She bears the hardships of the poor with those of being a woman. A rich woman has rights, A poor woman has duties, It's a lot to suffer for being poor even harder when you're a woman. She is so helpless She's both mother and father in one frame Rights, not even for complaints about being poor and being a woman. They made many speeches  about her heroism of yesterday. On paper, they respect her. But only on paper. And I repeat it again For those who want to understand: There are piled-up hardships  in being poor and being a woman.

Note: English version available in this post is a loose translation from the Spanish text .

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About The Poet

Carmem Soler (1924-1985) is a Paraguayan poet, teacher, translator and visual artist. As a political activist, she was exiled to other countries due to Stroessner Dictatorship. During this period, she began writing her poems and working with visual arts.