The Magic Mirror of Literary Translation: Reflections on the Art of Translating Verse by Eric Sellin

Author:Eric Sellin [Sellin, Eric]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Literary Criticism, General, poetry
ISBN: 9780815637035
Google: YwaBzQEACAAJ
Publisher: Syracuse University Press
Published: 2021-04-07T00:10:39.300524+00:00

Plus me plaît le séjour qu’ont bâti mes aïeux,

Que des palais Romains le front audacieux;

Plus que le marbre dur me plaît l’ardoise fine,

Plus mon Loire gaulois que le Tibre latin,

Plus mon petit Liré que le mont Palatin,

Et plus que l’air marin la douceur angevine.

The profile of my translation process may perhaps be most clearly demonstrated through an analysis of my various drafts. The actual translation procedure was obviously preceded by several readings of the original poem until I was sure that I had grasped the syntax and the various definitions of words that appeared to reflect Middle French usage (saison, âge, usage, raison, audacieux) and syntax that a hasty perusal might lead one to misinterpret (“Quand reverrai-je . . . de mon petit village / Fumer la cheminée . . . ?”). I then made a photocopy of the poem and started with a rather literal translation in the margins of that copy. At this stage and in subsequent revisions I must say that I actually “think aloud on paper.” A French proverb avers that “thought is born in the mouth” (la pensée naît dans la bouche), and for me a corollary exists by which a translation’s genesis may be found in its revisions. I repeatedly enter corrections and emendations in the text—sometimes using pencil or different ink colors—until the rough product is virtually illegible. Then, while I can still decipher this oft-retouched draft, I copy the latest version on the computer; and even at this stage I find myself reversing some choices or making additional changes, for the typed version provides new visual insights and verbal inspirations. There follows a series of revisions and printouts as I wrestle with the subtleties of rhythm and the technicalities of the rhyme and meter. The actual work of these many revisions takes place at various venues: on the computer or in writing when I am seated at my desk; in the evening or during the night in jottings made after I have gone to bed; or sometimes, during the final stages of the process, even in mental reflections when I am out walking, watching TV, or waiting for my car to be serviced. Two recent technical recall visits to replace airbags in my car may thus be considered of special significance!

The Du Bellay translation procedure varied slightly from this sequence. I was looking at a selection of poems by Du Bellay in an old textbook and I started to mull a rough translation of Sonnet XXXI of Les Regrets. I was in bed and didn’t want to write in the actual book or get up to photocopy the text. Instead, I grabbed a piece of paper and started making a literal translation of the first part of the poem. I ended up spending an hour or two translating the octet of the sonnet and making lots of changes. I returned to this piece of paper over several days until it was almost indecipherable (Fig. 1, p. 97).

Although I was not terribly excited by what I had done so far, I decided to revert to my usual practice of annotating an actual text.

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