Le français followed by a version in English y una versión alternativa en español. All these texts, and especially the English and Spanish, were substantially revised on several separate occasions in 2023 and 2024, more than a year after the original posting.

Another example of how I often do not try to translate my poems from one language to another; I prepare separate versions, following what my ear and my intuitions, however imperfect, suggest for each language. (And a writer should be careful approaching the absurd or surreal, because, in such a context, most anything may seem to work.)

When I was first working on these poemínimos (short poems), I happened on Susan McLean’s wonderful translations into English of short poems (“epigrams”) by the Spanish-Roman poet Martial. Two (hardly surrealistic) samples may be found below at Martial.

Tôt ce matin, je me réveille – et

Tôt ce matin, je me réveille – et

« Que disait-elle ? » y était parmi

Des trop longues réflexions sur la Cinquième Symphonie.

Tous ces gribouillis près de mon lit.

« Un homme qui s’est tiré à travers un orteil,

Perturbant un accord en plein sous le nez. »

English

This morning awaking, what did I find?

This morning awaking, what did I find?

Dream scribbles fallen just left of my bed –

“I don’t need you to tell me,”

Was one thing they said.

“Beethoven’s Fifth is about a man,

Who shot off his toe

With a rope through his nose.”

(Nothing to do but go back to bed.)

Español

Más fácil la vida cuanto menos lees

esta mañana temprano

en la penumbra encontré

garabatos de sueños

¿acerca de qué?

una sinfonía famosa

que se refiere a alguien

que se disparó el dedo

se sonaba la nariz

con el sol y lo demás

busco el antifaz para cubrirme los ojos.

Más fácil es la vida

cuanto menos lees.

Martial

Many thanks to the American Library in Paris for introducing me to Susan McLean’s Selected Epigrams: Martial (The University of Wisconsin Press 2014). The original, Latin poems were published in Rome between AD 86 and 103. Martial was born sometime between 38 and 41 AD in Augusta Bilbilis (near what is now the city of Calatayud in the Sistema Ibérico mountain range, northern Spain).

Image at right is a bust of Martialis (Martial) by Juan Cruz Melero (1910-1986). A few samples here of Martial’s and MacLean’s work:

poem 1.30

Sabidius, I don’t like you. Why? No clue.

I just don’t like you. That will have to do.

poem 11.19

Why won’t I wed you, Galla? You’re well-read.

My cock makes frequent grammar slips in bed.



— Poem(s) and “cover” (homepage) drawing by William Eaton.