READIN

🦋 Odiseo en Nicaragua

Pablo Antonio Cuadra's poem "El barco negro" (in Poets of Nicaragua) inspired me to buy the book Songs of Cifar and the Sweet Sea, which is Grace Schulman's selections and translations from Cuadra's Cantos de Cifar, because I was so dissatisfied with White's translation. A really powerful poem, but the translation is nothing at all...

Well: the book arrived in the mail today; I'm looking at it and enjoying Schulman's translations by and large. But her selections not so much: she did not include "The black boat." Rats... Ok, so here is my first attempt at a translation of a poem.*

El barco negro Cifar, entre su sueño oyó los gritos y el ululante caracol en la neblina del alba. Miró el barco     â€”inmóvil—     fijo entre las olas.     â€”Si oyes     en la oscura     mitad de la noche     â€”en aguas altas—     gritos que preguntan     por el puerto:         dobla el timón             y huye Recortado en la espuma el casco oscuro y carcomido, (—¡Marinero!, gritaban—) las jarcias rotas meciéndose y las velas negras y podridas              (—¡Marinero!—) Puesto de pie, Cifar, abrazó el mástil     â€”Si la luna     ilumina los rostros     cenizos y barbudos     si te dicen     â€”Marinero ¿dónde vamos?     Si te imploran:     â€”¡Marinero enséñanos     el puerto!     Â¡dobla el timón     y huye! Hace tiempo zarparon Hace siglos navegan en el sueño     Son tus propias preguntas     perdidas en el tiempo.

The Black Boat Cifar, inside his dream he heard the cries, the ululating conch out in the mist of dawn. He saw the boat     â€”immobile—     fixed among the waves.     â€”If you hear     from the darkness,     the middle of the night     â€”on high seas—     cries, cries that beg you     for the port:         turn your tiller back             and flee Outlined in the raging surf the boat's hull dark and eaten away, (crying, —O Seafarer!—) the broken rigging swaying and the sails black and rotting             (—O Seafarer!—) He held his ground, Cifar, he clung to the mast     â€”If the moon     lights up their faces     ashy, bearded, jinxed     if they ask you     â€”Seafarer, where you going?     If they implore you:     â€”Seafarer, show us the way     to the port!—     turn your tiller back     and flee! They set sail long ago They're sailing for ages, in the dream     The questions are your own     forgotten in the ages.

...A different selection of Cuadra's "Cifar" poems (an objectively better selection since it includes "El barco negro") is on offer at Pelele's blog, Muchacha Recostada. Also the whole book is online at turtleislands.net.

* Wait no, that's wrong. So, the next attempt in an extremely infrequent series of poetry translations by Jeremy.

posted evening of Monday, April 26th, 2010
➳ More posts about Poets of Nicaragua
➳ More posts about Poetry
➳ More posts about Readings
➳ More posts about Translation
➳ More posts about Writing Projects
➳ More posts about Projects
➳ More posts about Poetry

Well done! Great selection too! Love it'

posted morning of April 28th, 2010 by Jason gael

Thanks Jason! And thanks for the help.

posted morning of April 28th, 2010 by Jeremy

Hello.
Certanly, I like better your translation than the other one quoted up there.

Cuadra's poems are way deep, just like Cocibolca´s waters, though, his words are simple, just like Cocibolca´s people.

Thanks for passing by "Muchacha recostada"

posted morning of April 28th, 2010 by Pelele

Thanks, Pelele -- I just recently found out about Cuadra (and Pasos), and looking to read more of their poetries. I'm glad I found your blog while I was researching Cifar, you have some great stuff up there. I was just reading There's a fog upon L.A. -- is that your own poem?

posted morning of April 28th, 2010 by Jeremy

Respond:

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