Translation Slam
April 30, 2010 | Bowery Poetry Club | NYC
With Alex Epstein, Assaf Gavron, Barry Gifford, Barbara Harshav, Thomas Pletzinger, and Martin Pollack; moderated by Michael F. Moore
Co-sponsored by Blue Metropolis Montreal International Literary Festival and the PEN Translation Committee
LISTEN | Download the mp3
Small Elegy for Corso
by Barry Gifford
Gregory Corsoโs buried in Rome
a few weeks ago next to Shelley
in an acattรฒlico cemetery in Testaccio
Sitting on a bench in the Piazza Cavour
I recall Nanda telling me last December
Gregory had his balls cut off
โI donโt care,โ he told her, โI fucked enough.โ
Now at twilight in the Quartiere Prati
watching rich women walk big dogs
past palm trees under plum-colored sky
suddenly thereโs Corso ten years ago or more
at a baseball game in San Francisco
shouting at a player, โPull up your pants!
Itโs a disgrace to the uniform!โ
Three rows in front I looked around,
โGregory,โ I said, โwhat happened to
your teeth?โ โTheyโre gone!โ he said
โWho needs teeth after fifty?โ
We met again at a wedding in Bolinas
Quietly he told me how secretly he
envied Kerouac having died so young,
only 47. โIf only he could have enjoyed
himself more, but he was always drunk.โ
O Gregory, may you take eternity for all
itโs worth, the same as you captured
your time on earth, knowing all along
there was nothing real to lose.
Roll over, Captain Poetry, tell old Percy the news.
[go to the translations]
ืฉืืืฉื ืกืืคืืจืื
ืืืืก ืืคืฉืืืื
ืืกืืคืจ ืืืืจืืง
ืื ืกืคืจื ืืืืจืื, “ืืฉืื ืกืืื” ืฉืื, ื ืืฉื ืืืฉืืื ืืจืืฅ. ืืื ืื ืงืืื ืืงืืื ืฉื ืฉืฉ ืกืคืจืืช ืืืืจืืช ืืืืง, ืืื ืื ืกืืข ืืืืชืื ืืืจืื ืืื ืืืจืื ืืืชื ืืงืคื ืฉืขืื ืืืชืจ ืืขืฉื ืืื ืืืจืฆืืช ืืืจืืช. ืืืืื, ืืื ืขืฆืื ืขืืฉื ืื ืืืชืจ ืืฉืชืืื-ืฉืืืฉ ืกืืืจืืืช ืืฉืืืข, ืืื ืื ืืชืืืื ืืขืืื ืืช ืืขืืืจื ืฉืื ืืชืืืจืจ ืขื ืืฉืชื ืืฉื ื ืืืืื, ืืืคืขื ืืคืขื, ืืฉืืื ืืืฉืคืื ืืคืฉืจื, ืืื ืืืฉื ืืขืจื ืืืืจ ืืขืืืื ืืื ืกื, ืืื ืชืืื ืืื ืืฆืืื ืืชืจื, ืืืืจ ืืกื ืงืฆืจื ืขื ืืืืจ ืืกืืคืืจืื ืฉื ืื ืืื ืฆ’ืืื
ืืืข ืืืื
ืืกืชืื 1890 ืืชืืืฉื ืืืืืื ื ืคืจืืื ืืืืจืฉื ืฉื ืขืฆืื ืืฉืืืช ืืืื ืืงืืฃ ืืืืืจ ืชืคืื. ืืชืื ืืชืคืืโืืื ืืชื ืืืฆื ืืชืืื ืืงื ืืืฆืืฅ ืคื ืืืโืื ืขืื ืชืคืื, ืงืื ืืืชืจ, ืืืืื ืืขืกืืกื, ืขื ืืื ืืชืืื ืืืื ืืืชืจ ืฉื ืจืืงืืื. ืืื ืืืจ ืคืืื ืืืชืจ (ืืืืขืืช ืืืชืจ) ืืืืืคืืจื ืฉืืชื ืืืืืง ืืืื. ืคืจืืื ืืืืจ ืืืฉืืื ืืช ืืชืคืื ืื ืืืขืจ, ืืื ืืืืืจื ืืื ืืืื ืืกืืคืืจืื ืฉืกืืคืจ ืืคื ื ืืฉืื ื ืืืชื, ืื ื, ืฉื ืืืื ื-1895โืืื ืืืืฉืื ืืืจื ืฉืืืื ืืช ืืื-ืืืืข. ืืืชืื ืืืื ืฉืืคืจื ืืชืืืื ืื ืืืื ืืืืืืืืช ืฉืื ื ืคืจืืื ืกืืคืจื ืืืืื ืืฉืืืชื ืืช ืืืฉ ืขืฉืจื, ืืื ืื ืื ืื, ืคืจืืื, ืฉืขืืืื ืื ืืฉืืื ืืืืชื ืชืงืืคื ืขื ืืขืืืื ืฉืืชื ืืืื ืขื ืืื ืืืชืืื, ืืฉืืื ืืช ืืชืคืื ืฉืืชืืื ืชืคืื ืืืืืืืื ืขื .ืืืข ืื ืคืฉ
ืขื ืงืื ืืืื
ืืืืจืืื, ืืืืื ืจืืืื ืฉื ืื ืืช ืื-ืฉื ืื, ืจืื ืจืืื ืืืื ืฉื ืจืืชื ืืืฉื ืืืืจื. ืืืื ืืืืจืื ืืขืืื ื ืืคืฅ ืืช ืืืืื ืืกืื ืืช ืืืื ืช ืืืชืืื ืื ืืืจื ืืืืจื ืืงืืื ืืจืืืขืืช ืฉื ืืืื ืืืืืฉื ืืืืืื ืฉืืจ ืื. ืืื ืืฉื ืชืงื ืืืื ืืืืกืืื ืืืชืืื ืืจืืืืื ืฉืื, ืืฉืืื ืืืชื ืืืืืื. ืคืขื ืืฉื ื ืืืงืจ ืืช ืขืฅ ืืืืืื ืฉืืื ืืืขื ืงืืจ ืืคื ื ืืื ืฉื ืื ืืช ืืงืืจื ืืืืื
ืฉืื, ืืืื ืืืคื ื ืืืจืื ืืขืืื
[go to the translations]
Back for the third year running is the fast, fascinating, and fun Translation Slam. Borrowed from our friends in Montreal, and fine-tuned to a New York bent, the Translation Slam puts translators in the spotlight in a duel to the literaryโnot to say literalโdeath. Joining us for this tussle are Thomas Pletzinger from Germany and Martin Pollack from Austria, who translate Barry Gifford, and Assaf Gavron and Barbara Harshav, who tackle the work of Alex Epstein in Hebrew.
PHOTO GALLERY
โข View the photo gallery on Flickr