Working with Cuban artist Juan Carlos Rodríguez Valdés on his poetic text Dolor y Luna, shows the cyclical movement of time, harvests, and generations in telluric memory
It was wonderful to play a small part in the translation of "Dolor y Luna." Juan Carlos's writing is fluid, beautifully poetic. The English version captures the poetry, adding some specificity and clarity to the images. The language has a crispness that is less apparent in Cuban Spanish. It's an interesting experience to move from one to the other--same landscape, same emotions, different textures. Both hypnotic, if read without interruption. At the same time, one doesn't have to understand the Spanish to experience this text as Juan Carlos intended it.
Yikes, I did just write you a post Carol! On another page somewhere, but now I’m on this one and I will just reiterate, how much I loved reading this piece, the way it was woven together.
A timeless journey, it seems to create out of the early memories of our time here and propelling into our futures… thanks so much for this collaboration!
so cool to hear about this project. I am writing poetry these days in Spanish and English and really enjoy the translation. Congratulations! Quite a feat!
This quote popped up for me, and I thought of this new book....
“A writer’s heart, a poet’s heart, an artist’s heart, a musician’s heart is always breaking. It is through that broken window that we see the world.”
— Alice Walker
Fascinating project to translate poetry from a language you know little of.
Your process sounds reasonable enough, and the NotebookLLM inforgraphic is pretty cool.
I read a lot of poetry, so the project fascinates me even more on that basis.
I have a particular love of poetry said on the breath,
so let me encoure you and Juan Carlos to consider, perhaps,
reciting the work, you in English and him in Spaish...
Just a thought....
==>Jim
lovely idea - but he is back home in Cuba now, so not so possible. and come to think of it, we never did read it aloud. but the breath is there.
I heard a rumor that there are recording devices in Cuba.
we may yet be able to do this. onward and thanks for all your good intentions!
It was wonderful to play a small part in the translation of "Dolor y Luna." Juan Carlos's writing is fluid, beautifully poetic. The English version captures the poetry, adding some specificity and clarity to the images. The language has a crispness that is less apparent in Cuban Spanish. It's an interesting experience to move from one to the other--same landscape, same emotions, different textures. Both hypnotic, if read without interruption. At the same time, one doesn't have to understand the Spanish to experience this text as Juan Carlos intended it.
Good to hear your reflection on this! thanks for all.
Yikes, I did just write you a post Carol! On another page somewhere, but now I’m on this one and I will just reiterate, how much I loved reading this piece, the way it was woven together.
A timeless journey, it seems to create out of the early memories of our time here and propelling into our futures… thanks so much for this collaboration!
Beautifully presented!
so cool to hear about this project. I am writing poetry these days in Spanish and English and really enjoy the translation. Congratulations! Quite a feat!