Hi Richard
The question of preserving formalities in translation fascinates me as an
impossible problem. For example, I have sometimes thought that I would like
very much to do a translation of Sonnets for Orpheus that preserves the
rhymes, since the rhymes are such a lovely part of the poems in German -
but without the kinds of bent English that happens when you do that sort of
thing - (the fact that I haven't done so, of course, would tell you
something...) A poem's formality, its metrical play, is of course part of
its body and meaning. And no doubt the most untranslatable part.
Mark, are you suggesting that it's a waste of time to attempt such
transitions? It may be difficult and often unsuccessful, but Richard's
decision to take into account the formality of particular poems and to
wonder if there are English equivalences makes total sense to me.
I don't agree, btw, that the Campo poem is "ghastly" - the only phrase that
grated my ears was "the joy of it all". I enjoyed the dance of ghazals he
posted and briefly thought that I should like to play with the form myself,
something I haven't done - and where was Richard saying that poetry
shouldn't evolve, as the ghazal has in English?
A question, Richard - in Persian, are the couplets end-rhymed?
Best
A
Alison Croggon
Blog: http://theatrenotes.blogspot.com
Editor, Masthead: http://masthead.net.au
Home page: http://alisoncroggon.com
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