“Dos Sirenos”

From Elevación : (Nuevos poemas) by Amado Nervo. Mexico, 1917.

There are two sirens singing: Love and Money;

but you are as knowledgeable as Ulysses, far-sighted and shrewd:

Cover the captain’s and rower’s ears

and be tied to the mast of your ship,

that, if you save Sirte, your prize is peace!

Money is deception and Love is deception:

when you think you have them, a transmutation

Love is changed into boredom; barter gold for tin...

Love is calm and pleasure hurts.

(You already knew this, good King Solomon!)

But the man foolish for gold is confused

and Love vainly follows the fleeting flight...

Only the wise, the enlightened, looks at them with contempt.

Money is a lie and Love is a lie:

if you defeat them, you conquer the supreme good: Peace!

In this poem, money, as well as love, are represented as mermaids of sorts. In our modern society, mermaids often are thought of as wholesome and good, but in this time period, they were synonymous with distractions and being lost at sea. This plays hand in hand with the portrayal of money as a root of evil and distraction. However, contrary to this concept, the overall mood of this poem is lighthearted and playful. This stems from the fantasy aspect of the work, which follows a metaphor throughout. 

During this era, where Mexico’s economy was defined by limited economic growth, where there was often financial insecurity for numerous residents. This poem exemplifies that, most likely with the purpose to boost the moral of readers, by instructing those to go beyond the limits of their financial struggles; they’re instructed to find their peace elsewhere, independent of money. This reflects the struggling economy of the time and shows the Mexican people striving to feel fulfilled outside of the perameters of money.