Love Opened a Mortal Wound

　　by Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz （Translated by Jaime Manrique and Joan Larkin）

　　 Love opened a mortal wound.

　　 In agony， I worked the blade

　　 to make it deeper. Please，

　　 I begged， let death come quick.

　　 Wild， distracted， sick，

　　 I counted， counted

　　 all the ways love hurt me.

　　 One life， I thought a thousand deaths.

　　 Blow after blow， my heart

　　 couldn't survive this beating.

　　 Then how can I explain it？

　　 I came to my senses. I said，

　　 Why do I suffer？ What lover

　　 ever had so much pleasure？