The idea that meaning is “lost in translation” left those who attended “Love in Many Tongues” held at Slow Train Cafe on Valentine’s Day. Each shared a love poem in a different language and then provided a consistent and comprehensive translation into English, replacing confusion in the audience with gratitude.
The above idea was confirmed when I heard poetry in Russian, then Spanish, then Yiddish, and then in six other languages (American Sign Language, German, Japanese, Arabic, Ancient Greek, and Latin). It disappeared from my mind. Although many did not understand the poem until it was translated, a loving energy spread throughout the room.
Audience members such as Elle Arnold, a first-year dual degree student, were happy to hear the original poem and hear what love sounds like in a language other than their native language.
“This event was really fun because most of the languages that people are reading they haven’t had much exposure to before,” Arnold said. “I think it’s really interesting to listen to something.” [even] If you really don’t know what I’m talking about. ”
Each participant had a connection to the language in which they shared their poems, the poet they chose to translate their work to, or the poem they shared.
“I loved it when people explained their reasons and personal interests when translating poems,” said Ah.Nord said. “For example, the last person I spoke to, Anna Clark, said she discovered the poet because she saw other people talking about him. It was interesting to watch.”
College junior Amelia Huntsman decided to perform a poem by Russian poet Marina Tsvetaeva because of her love of Russian grammar and the offer of extra credit for her class.
“I have no family ties. [to Russian] I’m like a lot of people who are learning Russian,” Huntsman said. “I started learning Russian because I thought the grammar was really nice. I thought it sounded beautiful. And I was interested in politics.”
Like Clark, Huntsman was introduced to the poem’s author by a friend. The poems she read in Russian and translated into English are hamletShe translated the title as “Hamlet’s Dialogue with His Conscience.”After reading hamlet As a high school student, she thought this was an interesting idea. While deciphering Tsvetaeva’s poems, Huntsman realized the importance and pains of her translation.
“I think translation is a best practice for learning a language,” Huntsman says. “Getting the timbre, rhythm, melody and meter all in harmony at once is a huge challenge. [The poem I presented] I think the speech was probably a minute long, but I’ve been working on it. [translating it] All week long. “
Huntsman also noted how rhythm and melody change across languages.
Translation can be difficult, but it turns out to be very important for both learning and creativity. Kirk Ormand, the Nathan A. Greenberg Professor of Classics, who read Catullus’s “50 Poems,” emphasized the importance of creativity in the act of translation. By organizing this event and preparing his own translation, Ormand showed his audience how important and interesting the process of translating literature is.
“When people start translating poetry and prose about love and desire, most of it ends up being unthinkable, like Hallmark cards, mushy stuff,” Ormand says. “Usually a lot of the poems are a little bit edgy. Sometimes there’s a rejection involved. A lot of the time there’s a very deep loss involved, which also makes it very interesting.”
Officially launched in 2008, Love in Many Tongues continues to attract poets, poetry lovers, and those who enjoy the act of translation each year. Ormand notes how important translation is to the university itself.
“One of the things about the comparative literature program here at Oberlin is; [is that] It is one of the few programs in the country that emphasizes translation as a creative practice. [Translation is] It is an independent and independent creative project in itself. ”
Love in Many Tongues, an event originally organized by Oberlin resident and former assistant professor of creative writing Lynn Powell in 2008 as a way to celebrate local writers and give them a platform, has evolved over the years. The person in charge of the event changed several times. In 2014, Powell handed over the event to Hispanic studies professor Sebastian Faber, and this year it was organized by Ormand. The Department of Comparative Literature remains involved and remains a Valentine’s Day event.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Ormand said. “People find it wonderful and interesting. [and] An eclectic text appears that has to do with love and desire and we read it…. In one hour he can listen to love poems in 10 languages. ”