Translated Poems

Why Translate?

If I'm frank with you, it's not as though I imagine that my translations will be original, or even wonderful. I don't see myself as contributing anything to what's already out there. You can find translations of foreign-language works which aim for rhyme in English, or a consistent rhythm, whereas I go for free verse, trying to retain the meaning of the original work. 

These translations are an exercise for me. I care a lot about word choice, about finding the 'poetic equivalent' in English, which makes sense because I like my own writing to 'sound poetic'. Poetry, I suppose, is a means of conveying my 'relationship' with words: conveying the fact that words often have an emotional impact on me, or evoke various ideas - which may travel beyond the context of what I'm reading or hearing. Translation of other writers' poetry, on the other hand, seems to be a means of interaction with a poem. I translate a piece of work which I enjoy reading, which I find 'evocative'. I put it into free verse, the poetic form I tend to use most often, in a way making the work partly my own. The meaning of the poem, the order of ideas, those are theirs; the words I choose to translate the poem, the minor rearrangements, those are mine. I think I probably also translate as an exercise in using English, in producing a piece of work in the language I'm most familiar with, in a language which I'm almost 'proud' of knowing so well (even though that's only natural, given that it's my first language), in the language I communicate best in. The language whose words will always mean the most to me. And that's why, even it turns out at some point that I'm not a talented author, I'll always love writing. It's a way to put myself into something external, if that makes sense. :)

Anyway, that's enough of that. I don't think it was much of an explanation, but I tried. :L

Regards,

Skies x