I never was a good poet. Though I dreamed about it since ever, my mind just never developed any talent towards it. Maybe that's why I became a translator, to cheer up my pride and partly make my dream come true. There's nothing better than a good poem to translate.
Today I'd like to share one poem, probably translated already thousand times, but I believe still touching in every version. The poem of Wisława Szymborska, recently died winner of a Nobel prize.
Woman's Portrait
There has to be a choice.
To change just for nothing to change.
It is easy, impossible, hard, worth trying.
Her eyes, as needed, once blue, once grey
black or smiling, without reason full of tears.
She sleeps with him
as a first random one
the only one in the world.
She will give birth to for kids for him
One kid, no kids.
She's naive, but she will advice you the best.
She's weak, but she will handle.
She doesn't make up her mind, so she will do.
She reads Jaspers and women's magazines.
She doesn't know what is this nail for
but she will biuld a bridge.
She's young, always young, still young.
She holds in her hands
a pigeon with a broken wing
her own money for journey so far and long
a knife to cut a meat, a compress and a glass of vodka.
Where is she running? Isn't she tired?
Oh no, a little bit, very, doesn't matter.
She loves him or she is just stubborn.
For good, for not good, for God's sake.
Written by Wisława Szymborska
Translated by Magdalena Stefanni
beautiful! In order to be a good translator, you also have to be a good writer. I don't think there's such a thing as a bad poet, just like there is no bad painter - art doesn't have good or bad.
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