Death comes in
with the salt
at the tavern
in this country
both gentle and sinister
prancing white horses
wave-dancing men
their soft guitars at night
from across the bay
the noises
the bursts of light
mistaken for fireworks
at first
young men
with trembling hands
hard-muscled
young men of the sea
an odour of salt
and blood
death enters into the salt
as the salt enters into the death
in that tavern.
© Rosemary Nissen-Wade 2005
Published Diverse-City 2006 (Anthology of the Austin International Poetry Festival, Texas)
At dVerse we are invited to try homophonic translations (aka translitics). My current - weird! - attempts are in previous post. I'm posting this one to show what can be done with more time. *Smiles*.
(This example is not strictly a translitic, as I did understand some of the words — or thought I did — and used a mixture of translation, translitic and leaps of thought.)
© Rosemary Nissen-Wade 2005
Published Diverse-City 2006 (Anthology of the Austin International Poetry Festival, Texas)
Original:
Malaguena
La muerte
entra y sale
de la taberna.
Pasan caballos negros
y gente siniestra
por los hondos caminos
de la guitarra.
Y hay un olor a sal
y a sangre [de hembra]1,
en los nardos febriles
de la marina.
La muerte
entra y sale
y sale y entra
la muerte
de la taberna.
At dVerse we are invited to try homophonic translations (aka translitics). My current - weird! - attempts are in previous post. I'm posting this one to show what can be done with more time. *Smiles*.
(This example is not strictly a translitic, as I did understand some of the words — or thought I did — and used a mixture of translation, translitic and leaps of thought.)
