The Brilliance of Brutal Obscurity
I translated the following poem for my Translation of Chilean and Spanish Poetry class. It is by Homero Aridjis, a poet and journalist who abides in Mexico. The process of translating is one frought with many challenges, a reality that is manifold for poetry. I am in debt to the professor for certain aspects of this translation. I accept, however, all responsibility for any shortcomings or failures.
I am enjoying translating poetry as it pushes me to connect more deeply with what I am reading, and it sparks my imagination for possibilities that I might pursue in my own writing. I can imagine that translation will be a regular part of my life, perhaps as a creative discipline to sharpen my own skills and expand my creative repertoire. Whatever the future may hold for me and translation, in the present I hope you enjoy this poem.
You enter the dark room
as on a bed of dreams
a corner of unclear light
the rigid rhythm
of quiet terror
the brilliance of brutal obscurity
resonates
in black on black
on shadow is shadow
a Babel of tongues
bewildered and in shadows
all say the name of the impalpable
all look and weigh
the unseen
Wrote the following comment on September 1st, 2006 at 3:05 pm #
Keep up the great work on your blog. Best wishes WaltDe