Love and the Moment’s Questions in the Air: Translated Poems by Garth Greenwell and Idra Novey

The Atlantic has published two newly translated poems by Spanish poet Luis Muñoz, rendered into English by acclaimed translators Garth Greenwell and Idra Novey. The poems, titled “El Amor” and “Las Cuestiones Temporales en el Aire,” appear alongside their English versions “Love” and “The Moment’s Questions in the Air,” offering readers a bilingual encounter with Muñoz’s meditations on love, change, and the quiet moments where meaning emerges.

“El Amor” begins with the idea that love can arise without warning or preparation: “Es que pudiera darse / sin asomo ninguno / ni preparaciones.” It then shifts to imagery of direction and openness, describing love as “Solo rumbo, / horizonte / tamaño a partir / del corte exacto / de la ventana.” In the English translation, Greenwell and Novey render this as “Maybe it happens / without any hint / or preparation. / Just a heading, / a horizon / the size at first / of the precise cut / of the window.”

The second poem, “Las Cuestiones Temporales en el Aire,” presents a scene of public dialogue etched in graffiti on a park gate: “Nos encontramos / con el grafiti plata / en un portón del parque: / ‘¿Podemos cambiar?’” Beneath it, a response of uncertainty — “no sé” — has been altered with a bold addition in red crayon: “Sí-No-Sí.” The English version translates this exchange as: “We stumble upon / the silver graffiti / on a gatehouse in the park: / ‘Can we change?’ / In an answer box / to the first response, ‘IDK,’ / somebody’s added another / in quick red crayon / that spills over, into the box beside: / ‘Yes-No-Yes.’”

The translations are presented with attribution to the translators’ recent work. Idra Novey is noted as the author of the poetry collection Soon and Wholly and the novel Take What You Need. Garth Greenwell is identified as the author of the novel Small Rain. These details appear in the original publication as contextual information about the translators’ literary backgrounds.

The publication of these poems coincides with broader conversations in literary and audio publishing circles about the rights and artistic value of translated poetry, particularly as it relates to spoken-word adaptations. According to reporting from World Today News, the release has drawn attention from translators and small-press publishers amid a growing market for bilingual poetry in audio formats, including podcasts and audiobooks, which have seen increased production in recent years.

This development reflects an evolving landscape in which poetry’s reach extends beyond the printed page into performance and audio media, prompting renewed discussion about how translated works are valued, adapted, and rights-managed in new formats. The Atlantic’s feature places Muñoz’s work within this context, highlighting the collaborative act of translation as both an interpretive and creative endeavor.