Mid-term
Break
I sat all morning in the college sick bay
Counting bells knelling classes to a close,
At two o'clock our neighbors drove me home.
In the porch I met my father crying--
He had always taken funerals in his stride--
And Big Jim Evans saying it was a hard blow.
The baby cooed and laughed and rocked the pram
When I came in, and I was embarrassed
By old men standing up to shake my hand
And tell me they were "sorry for my trouble,"
Whispers informed strangers I was the eldest,
Away at school, as my mother held my hand
In hers and coughed out angry tearless sighs.
At ten o'clock the ambulance arrived
With the corpse, stanched and bandaged by the nurses.
Next morning I went up into the room. Snowdrops
And candles soothed the bedside; I saw him
For the first time in six weeks. Paler now,
Wearing a poppy bruise on the left temple,
He lay in the four foot box as in a cot.
No gaudy scars, the bumper knocked him clear.
A four foot box, a foot for every year.
Descanso[1]
a mitad de trimestre[2]
Me senté en la enfermería por toda la mañana
Conté las campanadas[3]
indican[4] el fin
de las clases,
A las dos, nuestros vecinos me llevaron[5] en coche
a mi casa.
Vi a mi padre en el porche[6],
llorando--
Siempre se tomaba los entierros con calma[7]--
Y Gran Jim Evans dijo que era un martillazo[8].
El bebé hacía sonidos[9], reía y
mece[10] el
cochecito[11]
Cuando entré y me sentía avergonzado[12] por
La gente mayor que se levantan para darme la mano[13]
Y me dicen que lamentan mucho lo que me sucedió[14]
Dijeron a los desconocidos que yo era el
mayor en voz baja[15],
En el internado[16],
mi madre se cogió mi mano
En la suya, dio unos suspiros[17] airados[18] y sin
llorar[19].
A las diez llegó la ambulancia,
El cuerpo dentro[20],
acérrimo[21] y
vendado[22] por las
enfermeras.
La mañana siguiente subí al dormitorio. Flores[23]
Y velas[24]
serenaba[25] la
cabecera[26]. Lo vi,
Por primera vez en seis semanas. Más pálido[27] ahora,
Lleva un moratón[28]
en la sien[29]
izquierda como una amapola[30].
Enterrado[31]
en la caja de cuatro pies[32] como en
una cuna.
Sin señales[33]
antiestéticas[34],
el choque[35]
del parachoques[36]
le golpeó.
Una caja de cuatro pies, una por cada año.
Poem
for Marie
Love,
I shall perfect for you the child
Who diligently potters in my brain
Digging with heavy spade till sods were piled
Or puddling through muck in a deep drain.
Yearly
I would sow my yard-long garden.
I'd strip a layer of sods to build the wall
That was to keep out sow and pecking hen.
Yearly, admitting these, the sods would fall.
Or
in the sucking clabber I would splash
Delightedly and dam the flowing drain
But always my bastions of clay and mush
Would burst before the rising autumn rain.
Love,
you shall perfect for me this child
Whose small imperfect limits would keep breaking:
Within new limits now, arrange the world
And square the circle: four walls and a ring
Poema
Amor, perfeccionaré para ti el niño
Quien se entretiene[37] con
diligencia en mi cerebro[38]
Cavando[39] con una
pala[40] muy pesada
[41]hasta
que los terrones[42]
formaron una pila[43]
O chapoteando[44] por el
mugre[45] en una
zanja[46]
profunda.
Cada año sembraba[47] el
jardín de una yarda[48].
Desmontaba una capa[49] de
terrones para construir el muro
Esto fue para no dejar pasar las jabelinas[50] y las
gallinas[51]
picotazos[52].
Cada año[53], caían
los terrones, permitir ellas.
O salpicaba[54] en la
leche[55]
Con alegría[56]
represaba el desagüe[57]
corriente[58],
Pero siempre mis bastiones[59] de
arcilla[60] y de
masa blanda[61]
Reventaba[62] antes
de llegada de la lluvia creciente del otoño.
Amor, perfeccionarás este niño para mí
Los límites pequeños e imperfectos de quién
seguirían romper:
Dentro de límites nuevos ahora, ordenan[63] el
mundo
Y cuadran el círculo: cuatro paredes y un
anillo[64].
The Forge
All I know is a door into the dark.
Outside, old axles and iron hoops rusting;
Inside, the hammered anvil´s short pitched ring,
The unpredictable fantail of sparks
Or hiss when a new shoe toughens in water.
The anvil must be somewhere in the center,
Horned as a unicorn, at one end square,
Set there immoveable: an altar
Where he expends himself in shape and music.
Sometimes, leather-aproned, hairs in his nose,
He leans out on the jamb, recalls a clatter
Of hoofs where traffic is flashing in rows;
Then grunts and goes in, with a slam and flick
To beat real iron out, to work the bellows.
La Herrería[65]
Lo único que sé es[66] una
puerta hacia[67]
la oscuridad.
Fuera, los ejes[68]
viejos y aros[69]
de hierro[70]
oxidados[71];
Dentro, el tañido[72]
fino[73] del
yunque[74]
golpeado[75],
La aparición imprevisible[76] de
chispas[77]
O de siseos[78]
cuando una herradura[79] nueva
se endurece[80]
en el agua.
El yunque debe estar en el centro
Puntiagudo[81]
como el unicornio[82],
cuadrado[83] en un
lado,
Fijo inmóvil[84]
allí: un altar
Donde trabaja[85]
con forma[86]
y sonido.
De vez en cuando, con delantal[87] de piel[88] y pelos
nasales[89],
Se apoya en la jamba[90],
recuerda el estrépito[91]
De herraduras donde el tráfico[92] pasa en
un santiamén[93]
en líneas[94];
Luego entra con un gruñido, hay un portazo[95] y un
movimiento rápido
Para golpear hierro verdadero, y para funcionar el fuelle[96].
[1] http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=break
I was left in doubt as to the fact that this word was correctly applied after consulting the online dictionary.
[2] http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=mid-term
The phrase above was clear and unambiguous.
[4] http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=signal
I liked the verb “indicar” because of its simplicity and the fact that it is relatively similar in length to the original “knelling”. Given that there was only a syllable of difference, I thought it would not upset the rhythm too much.
[7] http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=stride
I found the literal translation of the phrase “to take something in one’s stride” so I felt confident that it could be applied appropriately in the present example.
[8] http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=hard
As above, I thought it best to use an existing Spanish expression for the English “hard blow”, rather than recreate my own, literal translation, such as “golpe duro”. While this might in fact be correct, I think the chosen term is likely to be more natural given that it is referred to directly in the dictionary. In addition, from a poetic perspective, I like the way it mirrors the double “ll” at the beginning of the same verse.
[9] http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=742412
I was unsure as to how one might translate the verb “to coo”, but luckily this was to be found on an online discussion thread. It was also suggested that one could use the verb “balbucear” instead. However, the member of the online discussion who made this suggestion seemed doubtful, so I opted for the term “hacer sonidos” instead. I feel that had I been sure about the use of “balbucear”, I might have used that, but I would rather be safe than sorry. Moreover, I feel that as a non-native speaker, I was at times at a disadvantage in that I could not exercise as good a judgement as I might have due to a lack of confidence in the target language.
[17] http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=cough
I chose not to use the above reference and use the verb “toser”, because I felt the emphasis in this line is on the emotional sighs her mother releases, and not the fact she “coughed them out”. Instead, I though the phrase “dar un suspiros” was better suited for this:
Collins
Diccionario-Bilingüe Español-Inglés, 2005, Harper Collins, p1539
[18] http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=angry
This refers specifically to gestures and the like, so I thought it most suitable.
[19] I have no doubt that there is a better alternative to this, but unfortunately I was unable to find such a word. However, the phrase clearly conveys what is intended in original.
[20] I deliberately missed out the verb “estar” so as to cut down the number of syllables in a bid to remain more or less faithful with the beat. Both phrases use four syllables, and the lack of verb creates a poetic tone.
[21] http://thesaurus.reference.com/search?r=20&q=staunch
I felt “staunch” was a suitable alternative to “stanched” after consulting the online thesaurus. I feel it accurately conveys the stiffness of the body.
http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=stanched
[22] http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=bandages
The example provided by the online dictionary virtually mirrored the case in point.
[23] http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=snowdrops
I chose to say “flores” rather than translate “snowdrops” as this would have greatly upset the form of the poem. A disyllabic word would have transformed into the following: “campanilla de invierno”. I do not think anything of great importance has been lost, although I am aware that certain flowers are symbolic, or at least synonymous with particular messages or events. I can only hope this did not bear too much significance, if any, in the case at hand.
[25] http://www.wordreference.com/es/en/translation.asp?spen=serenar
I chose to use an equivalent phrase in Spanish to “soothed” as this seemed too obscure in the English version to have been an accident. I thought it best to be literal rather read into what Heaney might have meant by this. In any case, the very had been chosen for artistic reason.
[27] http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=pale
As the word used refers specifically to the colour of one’s skin, I thought it would be apt here.
[33] http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=scar
I simply liked the alliteration of the letter “s”, and thought it rather more poetic that simply using “marca”.
[34] http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=unsightly
I chose the word “antiestético” to describe the unsightly scars, as “gaudy” often refers to trashy colours and I did not want the ambiguity. Also, I felt “feo” was too harsh a word to describe the scars of a child in such a tender passage.
[38] http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=mind
I was tempted to use the phrase “en e mente”, but I decided against it. I felt that for Heaney to select“brain”, he must have had a reason for doing so artistically speaking because this is not strictly correct in everyday English.
[42] http://thesaurus.reference.com/browse/sod
I discovered that “sods” refer to piles or mounds of upturned earth after consulting the online thesaurus. In turn, I translated this to mean “terrones”.
http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=mound
[44] http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=splash
“Puddling” is essentially a made-up word, or at least is used very infrequently in modern-day English The meaning however is clear and I took the most obvious of synonyms: “splashing” (about).
[46] http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=ditch
I preferred “ditch” to “drain” so as not to confuse the reader by suggesting that he were in a man-made drain.
[50] http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=sow
I was planning on using the term “credos”, but was disappointed that this referred only to all pigs as a whole. Then I stumbled across the noun “jabelinas” which refers to wild sows. I particularly liked this term because the very purpose of the wall is to keep out pigs that roam freely in the wild.
[53] Whilst in other areas of the translations I have strived to find an alternative word or phrase to encourage variety, here Heaney makes a conscious effort to repeat himself twice in the same verse. Therefore, I too have done the same.
[55] http://thesaurus.reference.com/browse/clabber
I had never heard of the term “clabber”, or indeed “sucking clabber” before. So I searched the online thesaurus for an alternating meaning. It produced a series of words associated almost specifically with milk, such as “sour” and “curdle”. Given that “sucking” too is closely related with the concept of milk, I took it to mean that.
[56] http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=delightedly
My reasons for choosing the phrase I did, stemmed from a process of elimination. I was not too keen on “con mucho gusto” because the term exists in English where it associated with enthusiasm. I preferred to convey a scene of happiness. Similarly, “con satisfacción” seemed less strong of an emotion.
[57] http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=drain
I altered the word for variation as before.
[58] http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=running
I preferred to use the word “corriente” to “fluyendo” or the like, because I feel the poem is full of action words, and it reminds me of the inability of a child to stand still. Much like the one in the poem.
[59] http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=bastions
Unfortunately, I remain no closer to understanding what this means. I found no English synonym, but thankfully there was a literal online translation.
[63] I am not full certain what is doing the “arranging” and so thought it must refer to the “limites”, which explains why the verb is in the third-person plural.
[64] http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=ring
This was perhaps the most widely applicable word for “ring” and seeing as I was not sure which sort of ring to which Heaney refers, I thought it was the most apt.
[72] http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=ring
I could have gone for a word such as “sonido”, but I felt that such a word would fail to convey the type of noise that could be heard.
[75] http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=beaten
I selected “golpeado” because the word reflects the very action responsible for causing the anvil’s current appearance.
[85] If the man “expends” himself”, he is essentially tiring himself out. How does he do this? I think “working” is the most logical solution.
[88] http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=leather
I could have used either “de piel” or “de cuero”, but I felt “de piel” had the edge because of the animalistic and natural reference to skin. This, I think, reflects the rather masculine subject matter.
[89] http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=395240
The very phrase was discussed in another on-line chat.
[90] http://www.wordreference.com/es/translation.asp?tranword=jamb
A “jamb” refers to a beam, or most likely in this case, a metal girder.