Translating Poetry

� ا�� ا�� وأ��ه

Translating Poetry and Its Impact on The Culture of The Community

12/23/2010 Dr. Shadia Yousef Banjar 1

http://sbanjar.kau.edu.sa/http://wwwdrshadiabanjar.blogspot.com

By:Dr. Shadia Yousef Banjar

Culture of The Community

2nd Semi-Symposium in The Department of EnglishKing Abdulaziz University – Al-Faisaliah

Linguistic and Literary Societal Role Sunday 19th Muharram, 14332

26th December, 2010

In this study, the researcher will argue that translating poetry

seems to be directly or indirectly connected with art and culture.

Three different translations of Lewis Carroll's ‘Jabberwocky’ , the

well formed nonsense poem in terms of grammar and syntax ,

conducted by three different translators, and three others by

different translation software are introduced. By comparing the

different output with the original input, it is concluded that

poetic translation depends on transferring the form and the poetic translation depends on transferring the form and the

spirit of the origin in order to have the optimal effect as in a

painting. Thus the translator is a mediator transferring culture,

and the translation may represent a double-edged weapon. On

one hand, it may play a gulf-bridging role in cultural mediation;

on the other, it can be used as a means intended for ripping the

culture of a community to pieces.

2Dr. Shadia Yousef Banjar12/23/2010

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Walter Benjamin thinks that translation with no doubt breaks the

limits of language and literary traditions and this is a very good

thing for a language and literature and what really makes it

interesting and worth the effort.


Holmes stated that translation of verse is seen as a spectrum of different forms of meta-literature, from interpretative works in prose to a poem inspired by the original which is called ‘ metapoem’. This metapoem is both translation i. e. meta- literature and primary literature as it is poetry in itself.


it is poetry in itself.The verse of this METAPOEM has five forms:1.A mimetic,2.Analogical,3.Derivative,4.Organic, or5.Extraneous.


A poem, a certain number of words in a certain order on the

page, is a form, where all relation to what is other and finite -to

what is true- has been suspended. […] The poem is a means, a

spiritual statement, which is not, however, an end.

(Bonnefoy, 1992: 187-188)

Translating poetry as a form and a spirit:


Dr. Shadia Yousef Banjar 812/23/2010

.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,

Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and throughThe vorpal blade went snicker-snack!

He left it dead, and with its headHe went galumphing back.

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?

Twas brillig, and the slithy tovesDid gyre and gimble in the wabe:All mimsy were the borogoves,And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!

Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun


"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?Come to my arms, my beamish boy!

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'He chortled in his joy.

`Twas brillig, and the slithy tovesDid gyre and gimble in the wabe;All mimsy were the borogoves,And the mome raths outgrabe.

Beware the Jubjub bird, and shunThe frumious Bandersnatch!“

He took his vorpal sword in hand:Long time the manxome foe he sought –

So rested he by the Tumtum tree,And stood awhile in thought

'Twas (noun/adjective), and the (adjective) ( plural noun)

Did (verb) and (verb) in the (noun: place);All (adjective) were the (( plural noun),And the (adjective) (( plural noun)(verb).

“Beware the (noun “a”), my son!The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!Beware the (noun), and shunThe (adjective) (noun)!”

And as in (adverb) thought he stood,The (noun “a” again), with eyes of flame,Came (adverb) through the (adjective) wood,And (verb past-tense) as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and throughThe (adjective “a” again) blade went (loud sound)!He left it dead, and with its headHe went (adverb) back.

“And hast thou slain the (noun “a” again)?

JABBERWOCKYJABBERWOCKY


The (adjective) (noun)!”

He took his (adjective “a”) sword in hand:Long time the (adjective) foe he sought--So rested he by the (noun),And stood awhile in thought.

“And hast thou slain the (noun “a” again)?Come to my arms, my (adjective)boy! O (adjective) day! (interjection)! (different interjection)!”He (verb past tense) in his joy.

(repeating the first stanza here)

Poetry – Lap book, Language Arts Unit for Grades 3-6 by Leslie Cardwell

“Jabberwocky” has a very an old vital theme. This

theme is the heroic quest, in which a (usually) young

male will strike through for parts unknown, run into

some horrifying beast, and either triumph over this

force of dark- ness or be consumed by it.

Theme


force of dark- ness or be consumed by it.

The poem is a ballad. The ballad-stanza is usually four lines rhymed abcb, in which the lines have a syllable

pattern of 8, 6, 8, 6. We can realize how the third,

fifth, and sixth stanzas of the poem follow this rhyme

scheme.

Style


scheme.

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Translated by: Nada Al-Rifa

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Dr. Shadia Yousef Banjar(2009)

Holmes has remarked that a verse

translation .can never be more than a single

interpretation out of many of

the original whose image darkly mirrors.

(1968:30)


(1968:30)

In translating poetry , the translator transfers forms and spirit

of the original work. The translator of verse is a receiver

and producer of texts. He selects words and order at every

turn from among the many options which are available; the

preferred options will tend to correspond to standard poetic

tradition of the target language, and/or textual criteria of the

Conclusion


tradition of the target language, and/or textual criteria of the

source language. No one can predict the regularities or

irregularities of translational behavior, and the ingenuity of

translators. Systematic behaviors which break the limits of

language and literary traditions may affect the society as

language is a power and when the language is weakened,

the society will be weakened too.

ALKALAY-GUT, Karen, “Carroll’s JABBERWOCKY,” in The Explicator, Vol. 6, No. 1, Fall,

1987, pp. 27–31.

BONNEFOY, Yves (1989): “Translating Poetry” in Biguenet & Schulte (eds.)

(1992): pp. 186-192.Ciardi, John, ed., How Does a Poem Mean?, Houghton Mifflin, 1960.

HOLMES, James S. (1968): .Forms of Verse Translation and Translation of Verse Form., in

James S. Holmes (1994): Translated!: Papers on Literary Translation and Translation

Studies, second edition, Amsterdam/Atlanta, Rodopi.

References


Documents

Translating Poetry