One Poem in Search of a Translator
Rewriting 'Les Fenêtres' by Apollinaire
Published on 14. November 2008
Book
Paperback/Softback
284 pages
978-3-03911-408-5 (ISBN)
Description
Translation is a journey - a journey undertaken by the text, hopping around the world and mischievously border-crossing from one language to another, from one culture to another. For a translator, this journey can become a truly creative engagement with the otherness of the source text, an experience of self-discovery leading to understanding and enrichment, and ultimately towards a new text.
This singular literary 'experiment' intends to magnify the idiosyncrasy of this translational journey. In the process translation reveals itself as an increasingly creative activity rather than simply a linguistic transfer. This volume consists of twelve translations of one poem: 'Les Fenêtres' by the French poet Apollinaire. The translators embarking on this project, all from different backgrounds and working contexts (poets, professional translators, academics, visual artists), were asked to engage with the inherent multimodality of this poem - inspired by Robert Delaunay's Les Fenêtres series of paintings. The result is a kaleidoscopic diversity of approaches and final products.
Each translation is accompanied by self-reflective commentary which provides insight into the complex process and experience of translation, enticing the reader to join this journey too.
This singular literary 'experiment' intends to magnify the idiosyncrasy of this translational journey. In the process translation reveals itself as an increasingly creative activity rather than simply a linguistic transfer. This volume consists of twelve translations of one poem: 'Les Fenêtres' by the French poet Apollinaire. The translators embarking on this project, all from different backgrounds and working contexts (poets, professional translators, academics, visual artists), were asked to engage with the inherent multimodality of this poem - inspired by Robert Delaunay's Les Fenêtres series of paintings. The result is a kaleidoscopic diversity of approaches and final products.
Each translation is accompanied by self-reflective commentary which provides insight into the complex process and experience of translation, enticing the reader to join this journey too.
More details
Persons
The Editors: Eugenia Loffredo gained her Ph.D. in literary translation at the University of East Anglia. She has co-edited a collection of essays on the theme of translation and creativity: Translation and Creativity: Perspectives on Creative Writing and Translation Studies (2006). She teaches literature and translation at the University of East Anglia.
Manuela Perteghella completed her Ph.D. at the University of East Anglia in the field of theatre translation. Her doctoral thesis focused on practices of drama translation and adaptation, with particular reference to collaboration. She co-edited the volume Translation and Creativity: Perspectives on Creative Writing and Translation Studies (2006). She is currently working as Senior Lecturer in Applied Translation at London Metropolitan University.
Manuela Perteghella completed her Ph.D. at the University of East Anglia in the field of theatre translation. Her doctoral thesis focused on practices of drama translation and adaptation, with particular reference to collaboration. She co-edited the volume Translation and Creativity: Perspectives on Creative Writing and Translation Studies (2006). She is currently working as Senior Lecturer in Applied Translation at London Metropolitan University.
Content
Contents: Eugenia Loffredo/Manuela Perteghella: The Genesis of the Project: A Translational Journey - Timothy Mathews: Reading Translation in Apollinaire - Guillaume Apollinaire: Drafts of 'Les Fenêtres' - 'Les Fenêtres' - Gloss of 'Les Fenêtres' - Pierre Joris: 'The Windows' - Pierre Joris's 'The Windows': In Dialogue with the Editors - Tom Paulin: 'The Windows' 1 (handwritten) - 'The Windows' 1 - 'The Windows' 2 - 'The Windows' 3 - Tom Paulin's 'Les Fenêtres': Editors' Comments - Ron Padgett: 'Double Windows' - A Note on 'Les Fenêtres' - Tony Baker: 'The Windows' - 'Boxes on a Screen' - Sixteen Days - George Szirtes: 'Three Windows' - Dumb Waiter, Speaking Likeness, Spitting Image - Maggie O'Sullivan: 'Windows Opening' - Compos(commentary)itions: Les Fenêtres - Martin Sorrell: 'Windows' - Apollinaire: 'Les Fenêtres': Martin Sorrell's Version - Barbara Godard: 'Windows' - 'Windows' Translated by Babelfish - 'Windows' Translated by Free translation - 'Windows' Translated by Systran - 'Windows' Translated by Promt - 'Windows' Translated by Reverso - 'Fenêtres' Babelfish - 'Fenêtres' Free translation - 'Fenêtres' Systran - 'Fenêtres' Promt - 'Fenêtres' Reverso - Translating Apollinaire after bp Nichol - Raman Mundair: 'Windows' Draft 1 - 'Windows' Draft 2 - 'Windows' Final Draft - Travelling to Paris via Punjab (minus Passport) - Clive Scott: 'The Windows' - Translating Apollinaire's 'Les Fenêtres' - Ira Lightman: 'Vista' - Commentary - Patricia Duncker/Anne Jacobs: 'Les Fenêtres: To Guillaume Apollinaire' with Six Illustrations by Anne Jacobs - On Writing 'Les Fenêtres: To Guillaume Apollinaire' - Commentary on Illustrations.