Theme & Variations (2010)

Douglas Adams: Babel-Fish
[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1981)]


Poetry off the Page

Guest Lecture
(Tuesday, 18 May, 2010)

Opinions on Translation:

Poetry is what gets left out in translation.
– Robert Frost

What is translation? On a platter
A poet’s pale and glaring head,
A parrot’s speech, a monkey’s chatter,
And profanation of the dead.

– Vladimir Nabokov

el original es infiel a la traducción
[the original is unfaithful to the translation]
– Jorge Luis Borges

Translation is so far removed from being the sterile equation of two dead languages that of all literary forms it is the one charged with the special mission of watching over the maturing process of the original language and the birth pangs of its own.

– Walter Benjamin

Walter Benjamin’s view of the translator [is] one who elicits, who conjures up by virtue of unplanned echo a language nearer to the primal unity of speech than is either the original text or the tongue into which he is translating … this is why, says Benjamin, ‘the question of the translatability of certain works would remain open even if they were untranslatable for man’.

– George Steiner

•

[Fresco in Herculaneum]

The Masks of Catullus:
Methods of Translation

Odi et amo, quare id faciam, fortasse requiris.
Nescio, sed fieri sentio et excrucior.
– Catullus (c.84-54 BC): Elegy LXXXV

word-for-word crib:

Ōdī ět ămō, quārē ĭd făcĭăm, fŏrtăssě rěquīrĭs.
I detest and I love. Why that I may do, perhaps you ask.
Nĕscĭō sěd fĭěrī sěntĭŏ ět ěxcrŭcĭŏr.
I do not know, but to become I sense and I am tortured.

rhyming couplets:

I hate and love; would’st thou the reason know?
I know not, but I burn, and feel it so.

– Richard Lovelace (1618-1657)

I hate and love – ask why – I can’t explain;
I feel ’tis so, and feel it racking pain.

– Charles Lamb (1775-1834)

literal version:

I hate and love. Why? You may ask but
It beats me. I feel it done to me, and ache.

– Ezra Pound (1885-1972)

aural transcription:

O th’hate I move love. Quarry it fact I am, for that’s so re queries.
Nescience, say th’ fiery scent I owe whets crookeder.

– Louis Zukofsky (1904-1978)

•

[Reading in the Ruins]

There were many words that you could not stand to hear and finally only the names of places had dignity. Certain numbers were the same way and certain dates and these with the names of the places were all you could say and have them mean anything. Abstract words such as glory, honor, courage, or hallow were obscene beside the concrete names of villages, the numbers of roads, the names of rivers, the numbers of regiments and the dates.

- Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms (1929)

The Exercise:

• You will be given a copy of a poem in a foreign language.
• The text will be accompanied by a literal translation.
• I want you to write me your own poem using these two components.
• It can be a translation (as free, or literal, as you like) of the text you were given.
• Or it can be more obviously your own poem (though it should incorporate some ideas, words, lines or concepts from the original you were given).
• Type the text of your poem into an email and post it to me to be put up on this blog.

•

Authors:

• Paul Celan


• René Char


• Octavio Paz


• Salvatore Quasimodo


• Rainer Maria Rilke


• César Vallejo

[Marten Van Valckenborch I (1534-1612):
The Building of the Tower of Babel]

I think ...

[Noah's Ark]


German:

Ich denk …


Ich denk: Dies währt nicht lang,
ein Ding ist, es heißt Bang,
und weh tut Hand um Hand –
Ja und?

Ich denk: Sieh zu, man stirbt,
der Saft, der in dir wirkt,
auch ihm gilt dies: Verdirb –
ja und?

Ich denk: Im Garten Eden
ist alles wieder eben,
die Gleichung neu gegeben –
ja und?

- trans. Paul Celan (1920-1970)

Literal translation:

Ich denk …
I think ...


Ich denk: Dies währt nicht lang,
I think: this does not last long,
ein Ding ist, es heißt Bang,
there is only one thing, which is called fear [anguish],
und weh tut Hand um Hand –
and hand gives pain to hand –
Ja und?
and so?

Ich denk: Sieh zu, man stirbt,
I think: take care, people die,
der Saft, der in dir wirkt,
the juice, which works in you,
auch ihm gilt dies: Verdirb –
also holds for him: ruin –
ja und?
and so?

Ich denk: Im Garten Eden
I think: in the Garden of Eden
ist alles wieder eben,
everything is equal again,
die Gleichung neu gegeben –
the equation newly given –
ja und?
and then?

[Paul Celan]

•

Versions:

Ich denk …

I think: it does not proceed long,
The thing is, it means Timidly,
And painfully the hand operates around you
And?

He believed me: do they die, it looks like,
the juice of the fruits, is his work
examined that
takes?

I think that if Edemski Garden
Always good back
Gliechung like new –
And you?

- بولا البحر الأسد

•

Emily Dickinson

I reason ...


I reason, Earth is short –
And Anguish – absolute –
And many hurt,
But, what of that?

I reason, we could die –
The best Vitality
Cannot excel Decay,
But, what of that?

I reason, that in Heaven –
Somehow, it will be even –
Some new Equation, given –
But, what of that?


- Emily Dickinson

[The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson, ed. Thomas H. Johnson
(London: Faber, 1982): p.142. No. 301 (c. 1862)]
>

Last Dawn

[Siege of Teruel (1938)]


Spanish:

Alba última


Tendida en los confines
Tus cabellos se pierden en el bosque,
Tus pies tocan los míos.
Dormida eres más grande que la noche
Pero tu sueño cabe en este cuarto.
¡Cuanto somos qué poco somos tánto!
Afuera pasa un taxi
Con su carga de espectros.

El río que se va

Siempre

Está de regreso.

¿Mañana será otro día?

- Octavio Paz (1914-1998)

Literal translation:

Alba última
Last dawn


Tendida en los confines
Stretched out within the confines
Tus cabellos se pierden en el bosque,
Your hair is lost in the forest,
Tus pies tocan los míos.
Your feet touch mine.
Dormida eres más grande que la noche
Asleep you are greater than the night
Pero tu sueño cabe en este cuarto.
But your dream fits into this room.
¡Cuanto somos qué poco somos tánto!
How much [many] we are to be so little [few]!
Afuera pasa un taxi
Outside a taxi passes
Con su carga de espectros.
With its cargo of ghosts.
El río que se va
The river which flows away

Siempre
Forever

Está de regreso.
Is on its way back.

¿Mañana será otro día?
Will tomorrow be another day?

[Octavio Paz]

•

Versions:

1.

Lie on the beach
your hair is lost in the woods,
your feet touching mine.
Dormida're
Bigger than the night
but your dream fit in the room.
The how little we have so much!
Outdoor
Passes a taxi with its mass spectrum.
The river that is always going back.

Tomorrow is another day?

2.

Most Houaerba


The edge is
Your hair is lost forest
I am for your feet.
Sleeping're night
However, the dream was to meet in this room.
Small, we are!
Outside, passing taxi
Range.

River
Always
Returned.

Tomorrow a new day?

3.

ყველაზე Houaerba


პირას არის
თქვენი თმის დაკარგულია ტყის
მე შეეხება თქვენს ფეხზე.
Sleeping're ღამეს
თუმცა, ოცნება შეხვდეს ამ ოთახში.
მცირე, ჩვენ ვართ!
გარეთ, ჩაბარების ტაქსის
ასორტიმენტს.

მდინარე
ყოველთვის
დაბრუნდა.

ხვალ ახალი დღე?

- Kristen, Chloe & Zarah

Pyrenees

[The Pyrenees]


French:

Pyrénées


Montagne des grands abusés,
Au sommet de vos tours fiévreuses
Faiblit la dernière clarté.

Rien que la vide et l’avalanche,
La détresse et le regret!

Tous ces troubadours mal-aimés
Ont vu blanchir dans un été
Leur doux royaume pessimiste.

Ah! la neige est inexorable
Qui aime qu’on souffre à ses pieds,
Qui veut que l’on meure glacé
Quand on a vécu dans les sables.

- René Char (1907-1988)

Literal translation:

Pyrénées
Pyrenees


Montagne des grands abusés,
Mountain of the deluded great,
Au sommet de vos tours fiévreuses
at the summit of your feverish towers
Faiblit la dernière clarté.
The last light is dying.

Rien que la vide et l’avalanche,
Nothing but emptiness and the avalanche,
La détresse et le regret!
Distress and regret!

Tous ces troubadours mal-aimés
All those ill-loved troubadours
Ont vu blanchir dans un été
saw whiten in one summer
Leur doux royaume pessimiste.
Their sweet pesimistic realm.

Ah! la neige est inexorable
Ah! The snow is inexorable
Qui aime qu’on souffre à ses pieds,
Which likes one to suffer at its feet,
Qui veut que l’on meure glacé
Which wants one to die frozen
Quand on a vécu dans les sables.
When one has lived in the sands.

[René Char]

•

Versions:

1.

Last clear the Pyrénées mountain
which in regard to travelling
where you are enthusiastic,
freezes dying thing someone

What place sky and avalanche,
desperation and sorrow!
As for state that those [torabadouru]
[pessimistic kingdom you looked]
at even été of leykanei sweetly.

Well! As for the snow
who suffers with the desired
as for him that foot likes there is no pardon.
just is used is large you dig under.
are bad entirely
when you have lived in the sand

2.

Last clear the Pyrénées mountain
which in regard to travelling where
you are enthusiastic, just is used
is large you dig under.

What place sky and avalanche,
desperation and sorrow!
As for state that those [torabadouru] are
bad entirely [pessimistic kingdom you looked] at
even été of leykanei sweetly.

Well! As for the snow when you have lived
in the sand, as for him, freezes dying thing
someone who suffers with the desired
that foot likes there is no pardon.

3.

Pyrenees


The abused Mountain of the great ones,
To the cimeira of your febris returns
weakens the last clarity.

Nothing that the emptiness and the avalanche,
the affliction and the lamentation!
All troubadours badly Saw
to branquear in a summer its soft pessimistic kingdom.

Ah! the snow is inexorable
Who likes that it suffers its feet to it,
That wants it is died frozen
When was lived in sands.

- Joe Snacks, Edmund Duckett & Jimmy Knuckle Dragger

•

René Char et son chat (1941)

Pyrenees
(after René Char)


Mountains of the Moon
on your deluded towers
the light is fading

emptiness    the avalanche
that showers chaos

on all those love-lorn singers
building up all summer
their dreams of purity

the snow piles up 
you want to suffer?
turn to ice?
stay in the sandpit


trans. JR (5/2010-21/9/26)

Sonnets to Orpheus

[Jean Delville (1867-1953):
Orpheus]


German:

Sonette an Orpheus – I, ix


Nur wer die Leier schon hob
auch unter Schatten,
darf das unendliche Lob
ahnend erstatten.

Nur wer mit Toten vom Mohn
aß, von dem ihren,
wird nicht den leisesten Ton
wieder verlieren.

Mag auch die Spieglung im Teich
oft uns erschwimmen:
Wisse das Bild.

Erst in dem Doppelbereich
werden die Stimmen
ewig und mild.

- Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926)

Literal translation:

Sonette an Orpheus
Sonnets to Orpheus


Nur wer die Leier schon hob
Only [he] who the Lyre already raised
auch unter Schatten,
even among shades,
darf das unendliche Lob
may the infinite Praise,
ahnend erstatten.
when sensed, render.

Nur wer mit Toten vom Mohn
Only [he] who with the dead of poppies
aß, von dem ihren,
ate, those which were theirs,
wird nicht den leisesten Ton
will not the softest note
wieder verlieren.
again lose.

Mag auch die Spieglung im Teich
Though even the reflection in the pond may
oft uns erschwimmen:
often dissolve before us:
Wisse das Bild.
Know the image.

Erst in dem Doppelbereich
Only in the dual realm
werden die Stimmen
will the voices
ewig und mild.
be eternal and gentle

[Rainer Maria Rilke]

•

Versions:

1.

This is it

Only that the already main heads lyra also under the curtain, l'? the inexperienced praise can solidify you suspect. Who with deaths of partial poppy have eaten, the sound, that maintains sound they will only lose not other time. Also our reflection in groupement it can erschwimmen often: The table knows. Only in t o double spectrum the votes are changed eternally also lissement.

2.

But that one
that also raised
already the Leier under shades,

l' infinite compliment

can suspect to reimburse.

But what with deaths
of the Poppies it ate,
whose its,
it will not lose of new,
of new, to the clay.
Calmest reflection in the lake wants,
we equally frequently swim:
L' image knows.

This n' it is that in the sector
it duplicates
that the voices become
perpetual

and sweet.

- Laura, Nakita, Ben M., Maddy

•

Rainer Maria Rilke (1900)

Sonnets to Orpheus, I: ix
(after Rainer Maria Rilke)


Once you’ve tried your hand
in Shadowland
you may be ready
 to scale infinity

once you’ve broken bread 
with the mute dead
you won’t ignore
their slightest whisper

those faces in the water
are treacherous
dissolve before us

in the double realm
the voices will be calm
don’t falter


trans. JR (5/2010-21/9/26)

Old Winter

[Sicily (1943)]


Italian:

Antico inverno


Desiderio delle tue mani chiari
nella penombra della fiamma:
sapevano di rovere e di rose;
di morte. Antico inverno.

Cercavano il miglio gli uccelli
ed erano sùbito di neve;
così le parole:
un po’ di sole, una raggiera d’angelo,
e poi la nebbia; e gli alberi,
e noi fatti d’aria al mattino.

- Salvatore Quasimodo (1901-1968)

Literal translation:

Antico inverno
Old winter


Desiderio delle tue mani chiari
Desire for your clear hands
nella penombra della fiamma:
in the half-light of the flame:
sapevano di rovere e di rose;
They smelt of oak and of roses;
di morte. Antico inverno.
Of death. Old winter.

Cercavano il miglio gli uccelli
The birds looked for millet
ed erano sùbito di neve;
and were suddenly of snow;
così le parole:
the same with words:
un po’ di sole, una raggiera d’angelo,
a little sun, an angelic halo,
e poi la nebbia; e gli alberi,
and then the fog; and the trees,
e noi fatti d’aria al mattino.
and us made of air in the morning.

[Salvatore Quasimodo]

•

Versions:

Ancient Winter

desire of your hands of clarity
in the penumbra of the flame:
they knew revere also of roses;
dead women. Ancient winter.
Birds tried mile
and they were rapid snow;
by such means of the word:
few of the sun, the halo of angel,
and after this fog; and shafts,
and we made from air of morning.

Old Winter

will clear your hands
in the shadow of the flame:
knew oak and roses;
death. Ancient winter.

The birds tried
and suddenly the snow;
if the words:
one a little sunshine, my angel,
then the fog and trees,
and we did the morning air.

Old Winter

Clear mission
shadow with fire
I know, and we have to yo;
death. Old cold.

Wamenjaribu birds
and suddenly everything was in the snow;
If any of these words:
when Sunshine, Angel
fog, trees
and we took a morning off

- Anna & Ben D.

•

Savatore Quasimodo (1962)

Old Winter
(after Salvatore Quasimodo)


Desire for your clear hands
in the half-light of the flame:
They smelt of oak and of roses;
Of death. Old winter.

The birds looked for millet
and were suddenly of snow;
the same with words:
a little sun, an angelic halo,
and then the fog; and the trees,
and us made of air in the morning.


trans. JR (5/2010-26/4/26)

Trilce

[Machu Picchu]


Spanish:

Trilce – XV


En el rincón aquel, donde dormimos juntos
tantas noches, ahora me he sentado
a caminar. La cuja de los novios difuntos
fue sacada, o talvéz qué habrá pasado.

Has venido temprano a otros asuntos
y ya no estás. Es el rincón
Donde a tu lado, leí una noche,
entre tus tiernos puntos
un cuento de Daudet. Es el rincón
amado. No lo equivoces.

Me he puesto a recordar los días
de verano idos, tu entrar y salir,
poca y harta y pálida por os cuartos.

En esta noche pluviosa,
ya lejos de ambos dos, salto de pronto …
Son dos puertas abriéndose cerrándose,
dos puertas que al viento van y vienen
sombra a sombra

- César Vallejo (1892-1938)

Literal translation:

Trilce
Trilce


En el rincón aquel, donde dormimos juntos
In that corner, where we slept joined
tantas noches, ahora me he sentado
so many nights, now I have sat down
a caminar. La cuja de los novios difuntos
to walk. The bedstead of the dead lovers
fue sacada, o talvéz qué habrá pasado.
was taken away, or perhaps what will have happened

Has venido temprano a otros asuntos
You’ve come early on other business
y ya no estás. Es el rincón
and already you’ve gone. It is the corner
Donde a tu lado, leí una noche,
where at your side, I read one night
entre tus tiernos puntos
between your tender points
un cuento de Daudet. Es el rincón
a story of Daudet’s. It is the corner
amado. No lo equivoces.
loved. Don’t mistake it.

Me he puesto a recordar los días
I have got down to remembering the days
de verano idos, tu entrar y salir,
gone-by of summer, your entrance and exit,
poca y harta y pálida por os cuartos.
few and fed-up and pale through the rooms.

En esta noche pluviosa,
In this rainy night
ya lejos de ambos dos, salto de pronto …
already far from both of us, I start up suddenly …
Son dos puertas abriéndose cerrándose,
There are two doors opening and shutting themselves
dos puertas que al viento van y vienen
two doors which come and go in the wind
sombra a sombra
shadow to shadow

[César Vallejo]

•

Versions:

1.

Trilce – XV


Horn, while we sleep together
Other victims were sent to fans, or may not happen.
Dead Lovers Holiday
adopted, or it can be.

Emprano you on other things and you do not know.
Where you sat up late reading point in your story
ernments Daudet. This is a favorite corner. Not in order.
I remember those days

Summer Street, come and go,
Others with less fatigue, and you have a chance.

OK, the rain and the two quickly split ... errándose
has two doors, two doors, coming and going of
the shadow of the shadow of the wind

2.

Trilce – XV


corner to the UN, about the length of sleep
Many nits and is now Sat
Walk. The rest of the dead lovers
Then Adopted, or perhaps He Who could succeed

You come to a beginning of other questions
No longer. This is the angle
On my part is that red One night
Among the items on auction
The story of Daudet. This angle is
I like. Nothing wrong.

Remember that some dies
Summer gold were sold
A bright little weary and His rooms...

On this rainy night
One of the two Countries and break soon ...
Open rates are a close
2 ports, which come and go in the vent
Shadow shadow.

- Bronwyn, Sabrina & Jon