Poetry in translation

No, certainly isn't.

HI all

I need tips and direction on how to go about understanding poetry. You see so many teachers say that there is no such thing as right and wrong but yet they failed me on my assignment. I was asked to translate a poem called "Hope for Refugees" by Karen Press. Everyone understands poetry differently depending on the mood you are in or the frame of mind you could understand the same poem in many different ways.

They said that I should specificaly concentrat on the tone o the poem.

Can anyone help? I am very lost and confused and dont want to end up hating sucj a beautiful form of expressions

I think that when reading poetry in translation you can never forget the hand of the translator. You are not reading Neruda, but Neruda and his translator, and some translators have done better than others. Really, translation itself is an art worthy of appreciation in itself! As someone who has read extensively in other languages, and translated, and consulted multiple translations alongside the originals, I can attest to this.

Translation is simply not a matter of glossing each word, but crafting the sense, considering how we might say this in our language, what might be an equivalent pun? This line relies on heavy alliteration, can I convey the sense using alliteration in my language as well? can I use the same rhythm or meter? If not, which rhythm in my language would have the same feel? This metaphor relies on imagery alien to my own culture, how can I represent it? And so on.

Honor the translator! (and if you want to read a fine translation, see David Ferry's translation of Virgil's Georgics. Having read the originals I can assure you that he does a great job!)

I hear what you are saying and appreciate that this is an art that needs to e aquired over years of reading and reserach and exposure to this world. I have not studied poetry before this year and I have an exam in two weeks and one a week later which involves reading and translating the poems given in the final exam.....

I dont know where to begin...... i have looker at the various poems given to us and have attempted translating them but then when I compare what I have translated to what more expiereinced poets have translated: we are worlds apart... event galaxys apart.

I am beyond frustrated now and dont know what to do or how to even begin preparing for the final exams:flare::flare:

Passing exams in art subjects is a matter of expression. It helps when you understand the question and the topic, of course, but some artistic licence can be permissible when it is not a definitive version that is required.

A definitive version arises by translating each line faithfully preferably respecting rhyme schemes and metre; but that is probably not possible for you at this stage (or even for experienced linguists). An acceptable translation, however, is one in a freer form that shows you have understood the poet's message and have reproduced it in the target language with, at least, echoes of the poet's invention. You should respect line numbers, where possible, and verse breaks.

Any translation should be defensible even if contentious: no two translations are alike; your version will not be the same as your colleagues or that of the invigilator; but you must understand the original language and bring out the poets meaning in your version.

At this stage you should aim for a version that interprets the mood rather than a faithful rendering; and, with a freer approach, may detect some interpretation, whether original or old that you can express in your own words. You will not be able to translate jokes but try to reproduce metaphors and allusions. Read the poem numerous times. Make a mental note of the overall argument and study each verse with a view to understanding the poet's view therein which, of course, you will have to render in your own words (resort to prose in an emergency); but you may have a counter argument to present when discussing the poem. Your text should be fluent but need not be a rounded argument or aim to persuade the reader if the original does not also do so.

I hope that you have not left your studies too late or have ignored the subject hoping for a lucky break. Practice makes perfect.