The ATA Chronicle - July/August 2021 - 27

they keep with the tone and
are often more beautiful than
the literal French.
The American poet and
translator Gary Miranda said
something important about
translations: " If it's a good
poem in one language, it
should be a good poem in
the other. " If a translator
is too beholden to a literal
translation of the poem and
its structure, they might end
up with a pretty bad poem.
And that's not maintaining
the integrity of a writer
whose work has lasted
centuries or is a prominent
poet in another country.
There are mystical
aspects to the great
poems that persist
and reach through,
despite the limitations
of the language into
which they are
being translated.
Until recently, I had hung
on to some purist notions of
translation. I felt that poetic
devices, such as repetition
or the use of " O, " should be
preserved without question
because a poet uses them
to create a specific effect.
Those are very conscious
choices. But translators like
Miranda have abandoned
some of those devices in
their translations because
they just feel unnecessary
and can be a barrier for a
contemporary audience.
I wholeheartedly
disagreed until I read the
original Legend of Sleepy
Hollow by Washington Irving
www.ata-chronicle.online
to my son. (Not a poem, I
know.) The language was so
thick and antiquated that
it was virtually unreadable.
Being a word nerd, I enjoyed
it, but my son packed it in
after a few pages. And that's
not a long story! It was a
shame because he was so
excited to read about the
headless horseman.
After that experience,
I became a little more
open-minded to the idea of
" updating " more antiquated
modes of speech or form to
welcome in contemporary
readers. It can be done
without sacrificing the spirit
of the work.
PETRA: What are the
skills a poetry translator
should have?
KAREN: First and
foremost-a passion and
respect for the work. The
more you live within a poet's
oeuvre and immerse yourself
in their voice, you'll come
to understand which aspects
of the poetry are key to that
poet's work. That way, if you
must make a decision about
which path to go down, you
can feel more confident that
you're staying true to the
integrity of the vision and
style, and not just exactly
what's on the page. Most
translators of poetry are poets
themselves, so the work is
naturally in good hands.
Second, I would say it's
important to have a solid
foundation in the technical
aspects of poetry. That's
really where you begin to
see the artistry and depth
behind the great poems and
what led to some particular
choices. This would help the
translator be more assured
that any manipulations
Meadows, Karen. Almond, Eyeless
(Groundhog Poetry Press, 2018)
http://bit.ly/Almond-Eyeless
A reading by Karen Meadows of her poem
" Anita " from Almond, Eyeless
http://bit.ly/Anita-Almond-Eyeless
Groundhog Poetry Press
www.groundhogpoetrypress.com
during translation maintain
the integrity of the poem.
PETRA: Is there a language
you would especially enjoy
hearing your poetry recited
in or would like to have
your work translated into?
Karen: Oh, any language
would be incredible! I studied
French, so that would be the
language in which I could
best understand, from a
technical perspective, why
specific decisions were
made. I would also be able to
recite them correctly on my
own. However, it would be
fascinating to hear the poems
in a completely unfamiliar
language, such as Arabic or
Japanese. They would take
on a completely new life and
dimension, which is all I
could ever hope for as a poet.
PETRA: Thanks for
the interview.
KAREN: Thank you for
asking such interesting
questions!
Petra
Caroline
Rieker is
a freelance
journalist
and published translator
of six works of fiction
and translation
reference. Specializing in
English>German translation,
she is the owner of The
Art of German Language,
a translation and tutoring
practice, and publisher
of a blog that explores
the nuance of translating
creative works (www.
TheArtofGermanLanguage.
com/petras-blog). She serves
on the board of directors
for the Delaware Valley
Translators Association, an
ATA chapter. She has an
MBA from Otto-Friedrich
University in Bamberg,
Germany, and is certified as
a public relations consultant
by the German Academy
for Public Relations.
rieker3199@comcast.net
American Translators Association 27
http://www.bit.ly/Almond-Eyeless http://www.bit.ly/Anita-Almond-Eyeless http://www.groundhogpoetrypress.com http://www.ata-chronicle.online
The ATA Chronicle - July/August 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The ATA Chronicle - July/August 2021
