main.tex

\documentclass[a5paper]{memoir}
\usepackage[margin=1in]{geometry}

\usepackage{gmverse}
\usepackage{parallel}
\usepackage{fontspec}
% for unicode glyphs; I'm not actually using this :)
\setmainfont[Ligatures=TeX]{Arial Unicode MS}

\usepackage{xparse}
\ExplSyntaxOn
\keys_define:nn { poem } {
  translated-title .tl_set:N = \l_poem_translated_title_tl,
  original-title   .tl_set:N = \l_poem_title_original_tl,
  file             .tl_set:N = \l_poem_file_tl
}
% This is a terrible mixing of expl3 and LaTeX2e; don't judge :)
\NewDocumentCommand \Poem { m } {
  \group_begin:
  \keys_set:nn { poem } { #1 }
  \pagestyle{plain}
  \begin{Parallel}[p]{\textwidth}{\textwidth}
    \ParallelLText{
      \PoemTitle{ \l_poem_title_original_tl }
      \begin{verse}
        \input{original_\l_poem_file_tl}
      \end{verse}
    }
    \addtocounter{poem}{-1}
    \ParallelRText{
      \PoemTitle{ \l_poem_translated_title_tl }
      \begin{verse}
        \input{translation_\l_poem_file_tl}
      \end{verse}
    }
  \end{Parallel}
  \group_end:
}

\ExplSyntaxOff
\PlainPoemTitle

\title{Poems}
\author{Not Me}

\begin{document}
\maketitle
\Poem{
  translated-title = Prologue,
  original-title = Prólogo,
  file = prologue
}
\Poem{
  translated-title = I am like this,
  original-title = Yo Soy Así,
  file = i-am-like-this
}
\end{document}


% Local Variables:
% TeX-engine: xetex
% TeX-PDF-mode: t
% End:

original_i-am-like-this.tex

Yo soy así
como me estáis viendo.
Yo soy así,
con nariz pinochil,
con hermosa nariz
(de pequeña no podía
jugar al «orí»).
Flequillo y entrecejo
acusado
---no me acuso de haber amado.
Vestida de soltera,
mi moda es no ir a la moda,
mi guerra es no ir a la guerra.
Soy más pacifista que artista
más humanista que feminista,
más alta que baja,
mis músculos
más fuertes que García.

Soy tímida y no lo parece,
soy poeta y sí lo parece,
soy gorda y sí lo parece,
soy soltera y no lo parece,
soy viuda y sí lo parece,
soy una niña y no lo parece. 

Soy así…
Como me estáis leyendo.

original_prologue.tex

Estas palabras que agrupo
os llevan a mis ideas,
os dibujan mis emociones,
os cuentan mis sentimientos,
os decubren mis inventos
y os confiesan mi modo de amar.

translation_i-am-like-this.tex

I am like this
as you all are seeing me.
I am like this,
with a Pinocchio-esque nose,
with a beautiful nose
(when I was little I couldn’t
play “hide and seek”).
Bangs and the space between my eyebrows
accused
---I don’t accuse myself of having loved.
Dressed as a single woman,
my style is to not be in style,
my war is to not go to war.
I’m more pacifistic than artistic
more humanist than feminist,
more tall than short,
my muscles
more Fuertes than García.

I’m shy and it doesn’t seem so,
I’m a poet and it does seem so,
I’m fat and it does seem so,
I’m single and it doesn’t seem so,
I’m a widow and it does seem so,
I’m a little girl and it doesn’t seem so.

I am like this…
as you all are reading me.

translation_prologue.tex

These words that I gather together
bring you all to my ideas,
draw you my emotions,
tell you my sentiments
discover you my inventions
and confess to you my way of loving.