tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29519072.post5922325821833771398..comments2023-12-11T19:34:51.189-06:00Comments on Eine Klage-Welt: James Owenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07614935078978354375noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29519072.post-76929890276207745722008-12-28T07:13:00.000-06:002008-12-28T07:13:00.000-06:00I object to essence! :-) because, as you know, it ...I object to essence! :-) because, as you know, it modifies entirely the meaning of the french line. I am not sure about the way you repeat 'absence' either. the last part of the poem is based on repetitions, yes, but I think they work so well in french because they are simple yet subtle, echoing each other "avec douceur". to have 'absence' as the last word in two following lines seems to me a little brutal, or rough, or "trop decisif", I don't know. but it bothers me.<BR/><BR/>I didn't know that 'lime trees' would be a problem. Do you know Mihai Eminescu? he is called 'the national poet' because he shaped the poetical language in the same way Goethe did it for german, but one should read him in romanian (because in translations I don't like him at all, he sounds like a kind of Lamartine). and he is obsessed with lime trees, and I have always found this word in the english translations that I read from him.<BR/><BR/>I will show you one of them (it sounds so lovely in romanian, one day we will read it together :-)<BR/><BR/>Longing<BR/>Come to the forest spring where wavelets<BR/>Trembling o'er the pebbles glide<BR/>And the drooping willow branches<BR/>Its secluded threshold hide.<BR/><BR/>Eagerly your arms outstretching,<BR/>Hurry dear to my embrace,<BR/>That the breeze your hair will gather<BR/>And uplift it from your face.<BR/><BR/>On my knees will you be seated<BR/>Just we two alone, alone,<BR/>While upon your curls disordered<BR/>Are the lime-tree's blossoms strewn.<BR/><BR/>Forehead pale and tresses golden<BR/>On my shoulder you incline,<BR/>And your lip's delicious plunder<BR/>Raise up willingly to mine.<BR/><BR/>We will dream a dream of fairies<BR/>Rocked by secret lullaby,<BR/>Which the lovely spring is chanting<BR/>And the winds that wander by.<BR/><BR/>Midst that harmony thus sleeping<BR/>Woodland tales our thoughts enthral,<BR/>And upon our bodies softly<BR/>Do the lime-tree petals fall. <BR/><BR/>ps. and I think also that this is funny <BR/>:-) I won't tell you the story of my investigations regarding what kind of trees are actually those of the 'cherry orchard', and why the difference in the translations (in romanian being 'sour cherry', which is a different tree and fruit than the 'cherry', well, they resemble of course, but still they are different, and we have two completely different words for them).Roxanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05650840495095863057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29519072.post-61899963152320563122008-12-28T04:00:00.000-06:002008-12-28T04:00:00.000-06:00The lime trees did throw me a little on the first ...The lime trees did throw me a little on the first read but I didn't trip over essence at all. It's a lovely wee poem.Marion McCreadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04657757253873577465noreply@blogger.com