In a very uncertain and disturbing moment worldwide, literature can only do so much, but there is no doubt that it can cross borders even where physical borders have closed.
Modern Poetry in Translation is one of the best examples of this, and I'm so pleased that I have finally placed a couple of translations there. The new issue features my translations from the original French of Benjamin Fondane's poems 'All at once' and 'When the shipwrecked traveller'.
I am really honoured that I can do something to bring Fondane to a wider audience. I think he is still not well known except somewhat in Romania (his country of origin) and France (where he did most of his mature work, and his philosophy is more famous than his poetry). From the moment I first read Fondane a few years ago, I knew that I wanted to try translating his work. Modern Poetry in Translation also published my review, about a year and half ago, of a new translation by Nathaniel Rudavsky-Brody of Fondane's long work Ulysses.
The focus for this issue of Modern Poetry in Translation is Japan (obviously my translations are among those which sit outside the focus). As always, the whole issue is wonderful and worth your time. A full table of contents is here, and a few poems from the issue, although my translations appear only in the print version: https://modernpoetryintranslation.com/magazine/dream-colours-2020-number-1/
Thank you very much for this! I hate to admit it but it has taken me two decades to learn to genuinely appreciate translators. That is not to say I have not always appreciated them, but for way too long my appreciated has been coloured by envy. Twenty years ago, I still looked forward to the day I would be able to read French and German, while now I have finally accepted that I never will be able to do that. Living in a foreign country and hitting my sore head in the language barrier on a daily basis, my appreciation keeps increasing all the time. (I did quote [the translation of] Existential Monday in my thesis and have been hoping to find out more about Fondane ever since. I am glad to have the chance to do so now.)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your comment! Like many bloggers, I find I get fewer comments than I used to (if conversations happen, they're now more on social media), so good ones are always lovely. I think I understand your feelings about translators. I feel as though my French is only just good enough for translation work, and many French writers would be beyond my capability. In past blog posts, some of them going back many years, I've written about how I had to develop an appreciation of poetry in translation. I used to have a lot of anxiety over whether it was even possible to translate poetry. I think keeping a little of that anxiety is not such a bad thing, as it can help to ensure that translations are honestly and conscientiously done.
DeleteAs for Fondane, I really need to read some his philosophy. The bits of Existential Monday that I've seen were very intriguing. If you want to learn more about him, this is one time when I don't hesitate to recommend the Wikipedia entry. It is extraordinarily thorough and must have been written by a dedicated scholar or scholars.
Hi Clarissa, which Fondane poems did you translate?
ReplyDeleteSorry, I see the answer now – should have read more carefully!
ReplyDeleteNo worries - thank you for stopping by! Are you an admirer of Fondane or have you worked on him?
DeleteBoth! My friend Andrew Rubens and I are bringing out a complete Exodus at the end of this year. If you email me (henrymarcusking at gmail dot com) a postal address, I'd be happy to send you a pamphlet with a couple of excerpts.
DeleteThat's great! I will email you.
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