Translating To and From

Of late, I have been running behind; time management is not my talent, and I will sometimes schedule too many activities over the course of a day and night only to find myself so tired I’m ready to pass out where I stand.  This week, I am pacing myself, but I fully expect by tomorrow I will be racing around the house madly like usual.  That being said, I’ve been working on translating my own work to Portuguese and Portuguese poems in English.  

First is a poem by Portuguese poet, Eugénio de Andrade.  This is such a short and simple poem, but I think the beauty is in the simplicity.

"Fão Nocturne" autor, Eugénio de Andrade

De palavra em palavra
a noite sobe
aos ramos mais altos

e canta

o êxtase do dia.

In English:

Word by word

night climbs

to highest branches

and sings

the ecstasy of day.

Régis Bonvicino, of São Paulo, is a contemporary poet.  To date, he has at least 12 volumes of published poetry, and I find myself curious to know more about his writing.   Since these are my personal translations, I cannot promise accuracy or that the intent of the poet is matched, but these are some of the poems that are staying with me lately.  Words like mesmo have multiple meanings, all of which make sense to native speakers in context; please, if you notice a translation that seems wildly inaccurate, don’t hesitate to tell me.

"Não Nada"  autor, Régis Bonvicino

Não nada ainda do outro

semelhante ainda ao mesmo

mínimo ainda o outro

ele mesmo não ainda outro

de um mesmo morto outro

insulado em seu corpo

Vincos dos mesmo ainda

no íntimo do outro tampouco

cicatrizes unem

tatuagens dissipam

antenas clavadas, em tinta

cacos do outro estilhaços do outro

Uma borboleta fixa encobre

cicatrizes num corpo

In English:

"No Nothing" 

No nothing still from the other

similar still to the same

minimal still the other

selfsame still not the other

of a selfsame dead other

insulated in the body

creases still of the same

intimate still even not yet

scars unite

dissipate tattoos

clavate antennas in ink

other shards of shrapnel from the other

fixed butterfly covers

scars on the body

The last piece is my own, short and to the point, but it’s also my first real attempt to translate poetry I’ve written to Portuguese.  I think I am pleased with the result, though I fully expect to change it at least a thousand times.  Since much of my work is free verse, I find myself thinking a lot about the purposely odd structure; I wonder will it even translate to something meaningful?  It's very possible I've translated my own words to say, "Please, purchase a chinchilla, a cake, and three apples on your way home."  

"In Between" author, Tara Saint-Clair

in spaces between,

sinking.

caught in quiet insistence,

a voice rarely heard

belongs in this mind,

memorized.

the echo warming.

rendering cries 

in stillness

as the space ceases,

searching hands,

In Portuguese:

"Entre"

nos espaços entre

a queda.

preso em insistência tranquila,

uma voz raramente ouvida,

pertence esta mente,

memorizado.

o eco me aquece.

assustado chorando,

na tranquila,

as extremidades do espaço,

procurando.