DEL NUEVO CATECISMO PARA INDIOS REMISOS
From the book: The New Catechism for Unwilling Indians
From the book: The New Catechism for Unwilling Indians
Carlos Monsiváis
Translation by Antonieta Mercado
The Sin that could not hide its Punishment.
The Sin that could not hide its Punishment.
Upward mobility. Sin was obsessed with upward mobility.
Fed up with its condition of venial,
tired of inciting petty disobediences, and soft ruptures of the law;
Sin aspired to become mortal,to shake up earth and paradise
with its demolishing deeds and its abhorrent consequences.
Looking for a promotion, Sin fine-tuned its techniques, subverting,
and dominating nightmares,
introducing chaos in Creation, infiltrating carefully crafted
lasciviousness into innocent infantile kisses,
causing virgins to faint nearby satyrs.
Fed up with its condition of venial,
tired of inciting petty disobediences, and soft ruptures of the law;
Sin aspired to become mortal,to shake up earth and paradise
with its demolishing deeds and its abhorrent consequences.
Looking for a promotion, Sin fine-tuned its techniques, subverting,
and dominating nightmares,
introducing chaos in Creation, infiltrating carefully crafted
lasciviousness into innocent infantile kisses,
causing virgins to faint nearby satyrs.
However, no matter how skillful Sin was, it could not distance itself
from its correspondent "Punishment". Punishment was always next to Sin,
visible, warning, intolerant. Sin wanted to cover
like a dress, and Punishment increased its severity;
Sin’s job was to captivate, and Punishment’s job
was to disappoint; Sin unleashed choreographies molding to the body,
and Punishment made the probable victims feel ashamed of trying.
from its correspondent "Punishment". Punishment was always next to Sin,
visible, warning, intolerant. Sin wanted to cover
like a dress, and Punishment increased its severity;
Sin’s job was to captivate, and Punishment’s job
was to disappoint; Sin unleashed choreographies molding to the body,
and Punishment made the probable victims feel ashamed of trying.
Temper’s triumph, lustfulness’ failure. Nobody fancies to break the norm
if a check is immediately presented to him or her. Abandoned, robbed
from its glamour, trying to combat its insignificance,
Sin increased enchantments, tied breasts and bellies with eloquent hands,
exaggerated and lied.
Useless exercise. When Sin wanted to conquer, next to him would
appear the rectifying shadow,with soul examinations, purposes of
correcting misdeeds, repentance acts, anticipating punishment.
“I cannot live like this”, Sin said, and gave up all his effort.
Satisfied, Punishment wrote a report and got a promotion from "light"
to "really atrocious".
if a check is immediately presented to him or her. Abandoned, robbed
from its glamour, trying to combat its insignificance,
Sin increased enchantments, tied breasts and bellies with eloquent hands,
exaggerated and lied.
Useless exercise. When Sin wanted to conquer, next to him would
appear the rectifying shadow,with soul examinations, purposes of
correcting misdeeds, repentance acts, anticipating punishment.
“I cannot live like this”, Sin said, and gave up all his effort.
Satisfied, Punishment wrote a report and got a promotion from "light"
to "really atrocious".
This is the Spanish version
EL PECADO QUE NO CONSEGUíA OCULTAR A SU PENITENCIA
Carlos Monsiváis
El ascenso. La obsesión de aquel Pecado era el ascenso. Harto de su condición de venial, de incitar a mínimas desobediencias y leves rupturas de la Ley, aspiraba a la condición de mortal, a estrujar tierra y Paraíso con sus
hazañas demoledoras, sus consecuencias espantables. En pos de su elevación jerárquica, el Pecado afinó sus técnicas, subvirtió y domó pesadillas, introdujo desórdenes en la Creación, infiltró lascivias minuciosas en besos infantiles, propició el desmayo de doncellas en los alrededores de los sátiros.
hazañas demoledoras, sus consecuencias espantables. En pos de su elevación jerárquica, el Pecado afinó sus técnicas, subvirtió y domó pesadillas, introdujo desórdenes en la Creación, infiltró lascivias minuciosas en besos infantiles, propició el desmayo de doncellas en los alrededores de los sátiros.
Mas por hábil que fuese el Pecado, no conseguía alejar de sí a su correspondiente Penitencia. Estaba siempre a su lado, visible, admonitoria, intolerante. El Pecado quería envolver como un vestido y la Penitencia acrecentaba su severidad; el Pecado cautivaba y la Penitencia desencantaba; el Pecado desataba coreografías que se amoldaban al cuerpo y la Penitencia inhibía a las probables víctimas.
Triunfo de la templanza, falla de la concupiscencia. A nadie se le antoja transgredir la norma si le presentan de inmediato la cuenta. Abandonado, desprovisto de glamour, el Pecado, en postrer intento de combatir su insignificancia, arreció encantamientos, ciñó senos y vientres con manos de elocuencia, mintió y exageró. Ejercicio inútil. No bien el Pecado pretendía una conquista, aparecía a su lado la sombra rectificadora, poblada de exámenes de conciencia, propósitos de enmienda, actos de contrición, anticipos del castigo. “Así no se puede”, dijo el Pecado y renunció a su empeño. Satisfecha, la Penitencia presentó un informe y obtuvo el ascenso de leve a muy atroz.
