- Conversion Poem (Free—>Experimental): Transform 1 free verse poem you’ve written this unit into an experimental structure of your choice. Here you have full range and freedom to play with the idea of the poem. Remember, this should not entail a copy & paste with a few spacing adjustments, but should involve a reinterpretation of your original poem into a new format.
- Translation Poem: Translate a poem from a language you neither speak nor read. Do not consult with any translation sources. Your translation should come from the visual and musical quality and form in all of its unfamiliarity. Include original poem with your translation, and be prepared to discuss the choices you made with language.
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Translation Poem:
Rimani Italian
by Gabriele D’Annunzio
Rimani! Riposati accanto a me
Non te ne andare.
Io ti veglierò. Io ti proteggerò.
Ti pentirai di tutto fuorchè d’essere venuto a me, liberamente, fieramente.
Ti amo. Non ho nessun pensiero che non sia tuo;
non ho nel sangue nessun desiderio che non sia per te.
Lo sai. Non vedo nella mia vita altro compagno, non vedo altra gioia.
Rimani.
Riposati. Non temere di nulla.
Dormi stanotte sul mio cuore…
Wait! Wait awhile for me
I haven’t made it yet.
You are brave. You are a survivor.
You have learned how to overcome in ways I cannot, so free, so alive.
You love. Never needing help or guidance ;
All the desires are never left unfilled.
Time is passing. I haven’t lived yet my life is changing, I cannot stop aging.
Wait!
Wait awhile. Don’t finish tonight.
Sleep soundly and dream…
1. Conversion Poem:
I feel exhausted as the cold snow falls around me in a blizzard
I feel plastered from the wind as it slaps me
Alone is where I desire to be
With my mind where I can think clearly
I feel myself slowing down
There’s so much more for me to do
I can’t slow down just yet
Only 24 more days then maybe
Only for a little while
Maybe then I can be alone
2. Translation Poem:
Der du von dem Himmel bist (original)
Der du von dem Himmel bist,
Alles Leid und Schmerzen stillest,
Den, der doppelt elend ist,
Doppelt mit Erquickung füllest;
Ach, ich bin des Treibens müde!
Was soll all der Schmerz und Lust?
Süßer Friede,
Komm, ach komm in meine Brust!
When do you reach heaven,
On Earth and with others,
One with each other,
I find myself fulfilled with you,
Maybe you are my heaven,
Maybe there isn’t anything better than the love and lust with you
My love,
You make my life better!
twinship / laundry / taxes
a part of me hummingbird breath,
lives outside of my body gentle hands
my heart is sunburnt and raw lady lazarus with a bleeding heart,
she looks like me eat men, eat the air i breathe
talks like me take it all until there’s nothing left
i hate to be known blood, dark and hot
she hates to be left alone where we came from and
there’s blood on both of our hands all that we’ve been
blood, dark and hot the other is to blame where we came from
and beloved is her name she is the witness of my crimes
i had to kill you the broken body is born
so that i could live anew in your eyes that are
half of me mirrors of my own
my selfishness kills us both they ask what it’s like
she loves me till our dying day i know nothing but this
and everyday that has followed is this what it means to love?
i’m a god, a thief, a sister forgiveness is a sacrifice
a soulmate, an enemy, a twin we offer it willingly
a softer heart, a bigger body she demands a revelation
a grief that cuts am i strong enough to bear it?
(meant to be read left to right as well as top to bottom)
Yo te he nombrado reina. You were in my dreams last night.
Hay más altas que tú, más altas. Today I know you, it’s sin.
Hay más puras que tú, más puras. Today I know you, it’s pure.
Hay más bellas que tú, hay más bellas. Today I know you, it’s just knowing.
Pero tú eres la reina. You ask about the dream.
Cuando vas por las calles The moon lit our path
nadie te reconoce. an impossible view.
Nadie ve tu corona de cristal, nadie mira Falling free through the air, falling again
la alfombra de oro rojo the air is so cold
que pisas donde pasas, it hurts to breathe,
la alfombra que no existe. without the pain love doesn’t exist.
Y cuando asomas It’s not masochism
suenan todos los ríos just an understanding
en mi cuerpo, sacuden to balance it all, know that
el cielo las campanas, existence requires absence,
y un himno llena el mundo. we will all hurt each other.
Sólo tú y yo, Love exists and it’s ours,
sólo tú y yo, amor mío, love exists and it’s ours, my love
lo escuchamos. let’s fall.
Conversion Poem:
Defrosting, Drip, Drip
Melting plastic on fingers
Chemicals in gut
Looks and taste like poo.
Delicate process or death
La vaca, ¡mu! ¡mu!
Slimming and moving
Cough, Cough, white round gem is stuck.
Ocean breeze in mouth
Translation Poem:
Original Poem:
Ιθάκη
Σὰ βγεῖς στὸν πηγαιμὸ γιὰ τὴν Ἰθάκη,
νὰ εὔχεσαι νά ῾ναι μακρὺς ὁ δρόμος,
γεμάτος περιπέτειες, γεμάτος γνώσεις.
Τοὺς Λαιστρυγόνας καὶ τοὺς Κύκλωπας,
τὸν θυμωμένο Ποσειδῶνα μὴ φοβᾶσαι,
τέτοια στὸν δρόμο σου ποτέ σου δὲν θὰ βρεῖς,
ἂν μέν᾿ ἡ σκέψις σου ὑψηλή, ἂν ἐκλεκτὴ
συγκίνησις τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ τὸ σῶμα σου ἀγγίζει.
Τοὺς Λαιστρυγόνας καὶ τοὺς Κύκλωπας,
τὸν ἄγριο Ποσειδῶνα δὲν θὰ συναντήσεις,
ἂν δὲν τοὺς κουβανεῖς μὲς στὴν ψυχή σου,
ἂν ἡ ψυχή σου δὲν τοὺς στήνει ἐμπρός σου.
Νὰ εὔχεσαι νά ῾ναι μακρὺς ὁ δρόμος.
Πολλὰ τὰ καλοκαιρινὰ πρωινὰ νὰ εἶναι
ποῦ μὲ τί εὐχαρίστηση, μὲ τί χαρὰ
θὰ μπαίνεις σὲ λιμένας πρωτοειδωμένους.
Νὰ σταματήσεις σ᾿ ἐμπορεῖα Φοινικικά,
καὶ τὲς καλὲς πραγμάτειες ν᾿ ἀποκτήσεις,
σεντέφια καὶ κοράλλια, κεχριμπάρια κ᾿ ἔβενους,
καὶ ἡδονικὰ μυρωδικὰ κάθε λογῆς,
ὅσο μπορεῖς πιὸ ἄφθονα ἡδονικὰ μυρωδικά.
Σὲ πόλεις Αἰγυπτιακὲς πολλὲς νὰ πᾷς,
νὰ μάθεις καὶ νὰ μάθεις ἀπ᾿ τοὺς σπουδασμένους.
Πάντα στὸ νοῦ σου νά ῾χεις τὴν Ἰθάκη.
Τὸ φθάσιμον ἐκεῖ εἶν᾿ ὁ προορισμός σου.
Ἀλλὰ μὴ βιάζεις τὸ ταξίδι διόλου.
Καλλίτερα χρόνια πολλὰ νὰ διαρκέσει.
Καὶ γέρος πιὰ ν᾿ ἀράξεις στὸ νησί,
πλούσιος μὲ ὅσα κέρδισες στὸν δρόμο,
μὴ προσδοκώντας πλούτη νὰ σὲ δώσει ἡ Ἰθάκη.
Ἡ Ἰθάκη σ᾿ ἔδωσε τ᾿ ὡραῖο ταξίδι.
Χωρὶς αὐτὴν δὲν θά ῾βγαινες στὸν δρόμο.
Ἄλλα δὲν ἔχει νὰ σὲ δώσει πιά.
Κι ἂν πτωχικὴ τὴν βρεῖς, ἡ Ἰθάκη δὲν σὲ γέλασε.
Ἔτσι σοφὸς ποὺ ἔγινες, μὲ τόση πεῖρα,
ἤδη θὰ τὸ κατάλαβες οἱ Ἰθάκες τὶ σημαίνουν.
My poem:
Ithaka,
So close yet so far away.
The waves pushed him down.
Still there, with all his might.
So close yet so far away,
Love waiting to run into his open arms.
Still there, with all his might.
We need and want nothing
Love waiting to run into his open arms.
Flat disk no more
We need and want nothing
But will fall to his doom
Flat disk no more
Waves to all on the other side
But will fall to his doom
The end has just begun
Conversion Poem → Experimental
Poplin, Rouge, ̶f̶r̶a̶y̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶e̶d̶g̶e̶s̶
̶H̶a̶i̶r̶ falling ̶i̶n̶ ̶s̶t̶r̶a̶n̶d̶s̶
Collecting on the floor
̶W̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶d̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶c̶r̶u̶m̶b̶s̶
Fur and ̶g̶r̶a̶s̶s̶
An abandoned tie lies crumpled
̶C̶h̶i̶p̶p̶e̶d̶ paint colors the world
Far brighter than any light
Translation Poem
Járn og gúmmí by Magnús Sigurðsson (Icelandic)
Kæri járnsmiður,
þú sem skríður hér
milli beðanna
í skugga nýútsprunginna
blóma:
illa má ég
við sjö ára
ógæfu þinni.
Né mátt þú
við allsherjarógæfu
gúmmísólans.
Crashing wave,
Strong pull, strong push
Chasing tides
Thundering, overpowering,
Reckoning:
As I walk closer
Further you move
Back and away
Revealing to me
What treasures you protect
Before overtaking me
Inspired by Rústica (Florbela Espanca):
Séance of the lonely people
pretending that, salty, the mooring slips.
Votives descend on amber light.
A brooding scene, cadence of ghosts aglow.
I wish I could not believe them.
To be so lonely you reach your hand into death.
My love, let the ghosts keep their sleep.
Leave them to their eternal rest.
Experimental (it doesn’t format like it should so here’s the link https://docs.google.com/document/d/12DRCY5WqL2bOri02uALxUsafI7brXJRj79uow_5kDtg/edit?usp=sharing):
Oh, well done. I like the name Ocean Park.
Not what I’m supposed to be writing about, but (sorry) whatever—
I like the way it sounds,
oh, shh.
The gentle hush, a swell, sharp wave.
Feel it in the back of your throat. Fall with me. Land.
Ocean park. Say it again. Ocean park,
you said it again, didn’t you?
A park for an ocean, maybe, or
a park made of ocean? Wave, swings.
The same swooping sensation, a sweep of something.
Sorry– where were we?
Right, Ocean Park No. 17.
I like the concrete. I think.
Conversion Poem:
Chipped nails with calloused fingers
Stroke the worn-down strings of a guitar
Playing the melody of my vulnerabilities.
Be careful, be gentle
They stroke down the strings of a guitar
Whispering sweet sounds into my ears
Be careful, be gentle
I am
Whispering sweet sounds into my ears,
shivers travel down my spine
I am
a new written piece
a shiver travels down my spine
No longer myself,
a claimed new written piece
that played the melody of my vulnerabilities
Translation Poem:
登鹳雀楼
白日依山尽，
黄河入海流。
欲穷千里目，
更上一层楼。
Translation:
Climbing the Stork Tower
The sun sets over the mountains,
The Yellow River flows into the sea.
If you want to see a thousand miles away,
Take it to the next level.
My interpretation:
Sunrise
Rising from the end of the earth
High and bright above
Our arms spread and flow
Down and low below we are one
Free Verse to Experimental:
I was staring out my window, &
these thoughts
floated:
1. Are they talking to me in Morse code?
a) They kept blinking at me,
as if they were messengers
sent to give me a secret message.
2. Am I a secret agent living in this world?
a) Maybe I am a spy,
from an alternate universe,
sent to spy on my parents.
3. Is the Morse code
via the blinking stars
a sign?
A way to communicate.
To let them know I’m safe?
a) See points 1) and 2) for context.
All I knew for sure,
the beautiful stars up above
lit me up, inside and out
and made me whole again.
Translation Poem from German:
Der du von dem Himmel bist
Der du von dem Himmel bist,
Alles Leid und Schmerzen stillest,
Den, der doppelt elend ist,
Doppelt mit Erquickung füllest;
Ach, ich bin des Treibens müde!
Was soll all der Schmerz und Lust?
Tears
Left there on the park bench,
I cried and cried,
over the loss of you.
Until, however,
only up until
the realization dawned.
And then,
I cried and cried,
for I was now returning.
Conversion: Free –> Haiku
Golden Hour
fields flash by quickly
we’re racing down the freeway
wind whips our hair wild
head resting on him
my arms around his torso
clinging ever tight
we are leather clad
helmets forgotten at home
young, and so in love
…
Translation from Italian
Non Sono in Queste Rive
Non sono in queste rive
fiori così vermigli
come le labbra de la donna mia,
né ’l suon de l’aure estive
tra fonti e rose e gigli
fa del suo canto più dolce armonia.
Canto che m’ardi e piaci,
t’interrompano solo i nostri baci.
No one soars from unrequited love
where vermillion shores cast fire
on the labyrinth that is your heart.
Love is festivities, I assure you.
Love is endless giggles as the rosé manifests in your soul.
Love is sweet, given in little dollops but savored over a lifetime.
Words can’t describe how precious you are to me,
and I hope we are never left solo on this earth
because you are my everything.