Our high trade is both sacred and old,
Through the centuries, dark and mundane,
It shares the light with the listening world.
But no poet has dared to claim
That we always stay young, or that wisdom's - in vain,
Or that death doesn't come all the same.
________________________________
Наше священное ремесло
Существует тысячи лет...
С ним и без света миру светло.
Но еще ни один не сказал поэт,
Что мудрости нет, и старости нет,
А может, и смерти нет.
(с) Ахматова
Ахматова - Our high trade
© Copyright: Кристина Девулите, 2010
Свидетельство о публикации №110030301121
Свидетельство о публикации №110030301121
Рецензии
Kris,
It's so great to see how incredibly productive you are.
I'm getting worried that my dry spell is going to hold you back.
My mundane life is so uninspiring... When I'm efficient and disciplined at work and at home, poetry evaporates. It just cannot complete with my to do lists. At times I get fed up, throw caution aside, try to read or write, but then suffer tremendously from playing catch up later. I'm at the worst period in my life - I feel squeezed from every point - kids still need me, parent already need me, retirement is far away, and the crisis still has its grip on the job market driving everyone insane at work... It it were not for yoga, it'd have gone postal.
As for your translation, I really like your line
"It shares the light with the listening world",
But I think it is not what "С ним и без света миру светло" means.
Could it be my own idiosyncratic reading?
I trust everything is fine with you.
Hope your summer is full of fun.
Cheers,
Dina
Беляева Дина 01.07.2010 03:59 • Заявить о нарушении
It's so great to see how incredibly productive you are.
I'm getting worried that my dry spell is going to hold you back.
My mundane life is so uninspiring... When I'm efficient and disciplined at work and at home, poetry evaporates. It just cannot complete with my to do lists. At times I get fed up, throw caution aside, try to read or write, but then suffer tremendously from playing catch up later. I'm at the worst period in my life - I feel squeezed from every point - kids still need me, parent already need me, retirement is far away, and the crisis still has its grip on the job market driving everyone insane at work... It it were not for yoga, it'd have gone postal.
As for your translation, I really like your line
"It shares the light with the listening world",
But I think it is not what "С ним и без света миру светло" means.
Could it be my own idiosyncratic reading?
I trust everything is fine with you.
Hope your summer is full of fun.
Cheers,
Dina
Беляева Дина 01.07.2010 03:59 • Заявить о нарушении
The truth is, Dina, I've been dealing with a dry spell myself - lots of changes in my life, good, bad, mediocre - but still, you get into an insane rhythm of an ever-busy life... and poetry somehow - slips. I hope this is not a permanent state - actually, I have plenty of ideas that I will be writing down after my vacation in California... don't worry, I will keep on translating - and even if you do it less often, we'll still have our book, I have no doubt.
I agree with you, it's somewhat a different meaning when it comes to "it shares the light with the listening world" - yet, I would like to keep it. As you've noticed, I play a bit loose with my translations, expressing what I really want to express. If you think it departs too far from the original - let me know - if you are willing to accept it as a loose translation, I'll be delighted.
As you have probably noticed - I am not a true translator - not like you. I express my feelings - and sometimes it's easier to do it through someone else's lines, since they have done it so much more eloquently - and yet I manage to slip in my own emotions...
My summer is full of fun, I hope yours is as well!!
Kris
Кристина Девулите 01.07.2010 12:15 Заявить о нарушении
I agree with you, it's somewhat a different meaning when it comes to "it shares the light with the listening world" - yet, I would like to keep it. As you've noticed, I play a bit loose with my translations, expressing what I really want to express. If you think it departs too far from the original - let me know - if you are willing to accept it as a loose translation, I'll be delighted.
As you have probably noticed - I am not a true translator - not like you. I express my feelings - and sometimes it's easier to do it through someone else's lines, since they have done it so much more eloquently - and yet I manage to slip in my own emotions...
My summer is full of fun, I hope yours is as well!!
Kris
Кристина Девулите 01.07.2010 12:15 Заявить о нарушении
Hi, Kris! Good to know that you haven't given up on me.
As for my summer. It's pretty busy with work now.
I'll have a week off at the very end.
Maybe go to Block Island or something like that.
Enjoy your!
Dina
Беляева Дина 02.07.2010 18:39 Заявить о нарушении
As for my summer. It's pretty busy with work now.
I'll have a week off at the very end.
Maybe go to Block Island or something like that.
Enjoy your!
Dina
Беляева Дина 02.07.2010 18:39 Заявить о нарушении
На это произведение написаны 2 рецензии, здесь отображается последняя, остальные - в полном списке.