SPRING 2014, SYLLABUS, English 698, “The Aesthetics of Translation”, Tuesday,
4:30-6:50, English Dept. Conference Room, Professor Carol Muske-Dukes
"The Aesthetics of Translation"
The great Russian modernist poet, Maria Tsvetaeyeva famously said, "All poetry is translation". With her
words in mind, we will focus on the aesthetic properties of the translation process: how a poem in one
language is "brought across" or re-created in another. (A "workshop" focus.) We will be less concerned
with technicalities of word-for-word rendering than concentration on what might be described as the
"impossibilities" in translation: how the translator must determine aesthetic equivalencies - and how
linguistic/poetic diction/imagery/tone in the original language can be transformed to create the possibility
of a beautiful poem in the "second" language. We will rely on Rainer Schulte's Comparative Perspectives:
an Anthology of Multiple Translations as a "text" - but will focus on our own translations, either of
original works-in-progress and/or translations of "new" work. (Poetry manuscripts, ongoing or inprogress translation projects may be considered as sources.) Other guides will include Sappho (from Mary
Barnard to Anne Carson) Robert Pinsky's Inferno, Bly's The Eight Stages of Translation, Heather
McHugh's translations of Paul Celan, (Glottal Stop), Hass on Transtromer, Simic on Brodsky, Seamus
Heaney's essays in The Government of the Tongue, Muldoon, Hirschfield, etc.
A meditation: the paradox of translation, Derrida said, is that the translator must strive to be as faithful as
possible to the original author's style and intent, while at the same time recognizing that it's impossible to
reconstitute the unique meaning of the original words. The alchemy of translation, he said, occurs precisely
at that point where an essentially new work is created. "A translator is a creative writer", Derrida said. "You
have to find the best way to be untrue to the original, to perjure in the best way. This is the double bind."
The arbitrary but exciting word "best" is key here. The "living poem" in English will remain a goal - as
well as productive analysis of the successful and not-so-successful theories and practices of translation
("literal" or "true" vs. "versions". ) We will be working primarily with "glosses", but also original text. it
is helpful to know the language from which one is translating, but "literals" or "ponies" will always be
available as a starting point for those not fluent in another tongue. Each student will offer a presentation,
based on her semester-long project - along with the regular translating in workshop. The semester's project
will be turned in at the end as "in progress" or close to completion.
Books: (Most optional, copies of excerpts provided)
Comparative Perspectives: Anthology of Multiple Perspectives, Rainer Schulte
Ten Ways of Looking at Wang Wei, E.Weinberger & Octavio Paz
The Eight Stages of Translation: Robert Bly
Theories of Translation, an Anthology of Essays, Dryden to Derrida, ed. Schulte &
Biguenet
The Poem Itself, ed. Stanley Burnshaw
Glottal Stop, Paul Celan, trans. by Heather McHugh
Excerpts:
Robert Hass on Transtromer in Twentieth Century Pleasures
Ohio Review – Contemp translations
Hirschfield – Translations, Japanese
Charles Simic on Joseph Brodsky
FIRST WEEK (Tuesday, January 14th) Introductions – overviews, translation. “Text”,
Comparative Perspectives: Anthology of Multiple Translations, ed. Rainer Schulte.
Discussion: Archaic Torso of Apollo, Rainer Maria Rilke. Comparison translations
demonstrating range of translation possibilities. Assignment: translation “comparative”.
Discuss translation project.
SECOND WEEK -- Comparative Perspectives: translations. Divine Comedy, Inferno,
First Canto. Describe translation projects – presentations, provision of “literal” then
examples of translation. Rilke, Dante.
THIRD WEEK -- Comparative Perspectives -- To Aphrodite, Sappho (Anne Carson,
Mary Barnard, etc.) Discussion: translations and schedule for translation projects.
FOURTH WEEK -- Comparative Perspectives –translations, La Cloche Felee, Charles
Baudelaire, Arte Poetica, Pablo Neruda. Also continue First Canto, Divine Comedy –
and Sappho. Translation projects.
FIFTH WEEK: Discussion: Catullus. Excerpts: Eight Stages of Translation.
SIXTH WEEK: Baudelaire, Neruda, Catullus. Reading: Robert Hass, Twentieth
Century Pleasures, on Tomas Transtromer. Discusson, Eight Stages of Translation.
Presentations, translation project
SEVENTH WEEK: Theories of Translation, Schulte & Biguenet. (Also, a glance at
Nineteen Ways of Looking at Wang Wei.) Discussion, Presentation.
EIGHTH WEEK: Theories of Translation + Nineteen Ways + Charles Simic on
Brodsky. Continued presentation.
NINTH WEEK: Review all discussions and comparatives + original work.
----SPRING BREAK--TENTH WEEK: Translation presentations.
ELEVENTH WEEK: Paul Celan, Glottal Stop, Heather McHugh.
TWELFTH WEEK: Translations, presentations. Paul Celan. Stanley Burnshaw, The
Poem Itself.
THIRTEENTH WEEK: The Poem Itself.
FOURTEENTH WEEK: Elytis, Pavese, Wang Wei. Sor Juana, Mistral.
Semester ends. Papers, translations.
FIFTEENTH WEEK: Review, Semester End Party.
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Here’s to a great semester!