READIN

🦋 I am curious about this translation

From García Lorca's "Ansia de Estatua",

Rumor.
Aunque no quede más que el rumor.

Aroma.
Aunque no quede más que el aroma.

Rumor.
Though nothing may remain but the rumor.

Odor.
Though nothing may remain but the odor.

It seems strange to me not to use "aroma" to translate "aroma", keeping the look of the poem closer to the original. A possible objection is that "aroma" in English connotes a pleasant smell, I'm not sure it does in Spanish; but by the same token, "odor" connotes an unpleasant smell -- if I were looking for a neutral term I would use "scent".

The rest of this sweet, sweet poem is below the fold.

Pero arranca de mí el recuerdo
y el color de las viejas horas.*

Dolor.
Frente al mágico y vivo dolor.

Batalla.
En la auténtica y sucia batalla.

¡Pero quita la gente invisible
que rodea perenne mi casa!

posted morning of Sunday, February 15th, 2009
➳ More posts about Translation
➳ More posts about Writing Projects
➳ More posts about Projects
➳ More posts about Federico García Lorca
➳ More posts about Readings
➳ More posts about Mistranslation

In spanish is pretty much the same thing, aroma is used for a pleasant smell, olor is mostly used when it's neutral or not very nice, and hedor when it stinks :)

posted evening of February 15th, 2009 by Jorge López

Thanks -- interesting. That makes it just totally baffling to me, why the translator used "odor" here.

posted evening of February 15th, 2009 by Jeremy

Respond:

Name:
E-mail: (will not be displayed)
Link:
Remember info	Send