From the translator's note for Leopardi's Canti (republished 2008 by Oneworld Classics!):
Robert Lowell's versions are symptomatic of a general tendency. He calls them "imitations," and says that he has been "reckless with literal meaning, and labored to get the tone." Why not? This is one method, a time honored one in fact, of transferring a foreign poem into English, and Lowell's candor is welcome. What I am particularly concerned with here is the precise way in which he is "reckless" when it comes to Leopardi. Here are a few lines of 'The Villlage Saturday' in the original and in my translation:I fanciulli gridando
su la piazzuola in frotta,
e qua e là saltando,
fanno un lieto romore...
[24-7]
The small boys crowd and shout
Throughout the tiny square,
They crowd and leap about,
They leap about and cheer...
I now quote Lowell's version to show the greater specificity, the concrete details, the sheer elaboration he introduces out of the blue into the simple original.Children place their pickets
And sentinels,
And splash round and round
The village fountain.
They jump like crickets,
And make a happy sound.
["Saturday Night in the Village,' Imitations]
1 postscripts:
Interesting; thanks for posting. Translating poetry seems a daunting task given the many layers and irreconcilable interactions between them. In this great unknowing cloud of meaning, words like literal seem to lose their veracity, if they ever had any.
Perhaps “Variations” would be a fit title for Lowell’s creation. What’s intriguing about Lowell’s approach is its creativity over mechanical recapitulation. It attempts to add something new. Some may see this as its downfall, but I see it as homage to Leopardi’s fertile soil.
Post a Comment