Having introduced Lorca's Autumn, there is no reason why I should be unfair to another great Spanish poet Pablo Neruda. So last night, I looked through those poem collections of his that I still have. And to my delight, I found one! But my delight did not last long. His Oda al otoño is quite long. It runs to 6 stanzas: 5 long plus a short one. So I'll probably have to do the translations one or two stanzas at a time. Here is my first instalment.
Oda al otoño Ode to Autumn 秋之頌
Ay cuánto tiempo There is a time of 曾幾何時
tierra the earth 大地
sin otoño without autumn, 無秋
cómo pudo vivirse! how could it live! 如何生活！
Ah qué opresiva ah how oppressive 呀水仙子
náyade naiad 多麽壓人
la primavera spring 春季
con sus escandalosos with its scandalous 與其羞人之
pezones nipples 乳頭
mostrándolos en todos showing on all 展露世間
los árboles del mundo the trees of the world 所有樹上
y luego and later 後來
el verano, in summer, 夏季 ，
trigo, wheat, 麥子，
trigo, wheat, 麥子，
intermitentes intermittent 間歇的
grillos, crickets, 蟋蟀，
cigarras, cicadas, 蟬，
sudor desenfrenado. uncontrollable sweat. 停不了的汗水。
Entonces Then 然後
el aire the air 空氣
trae por la mañana brings to the morning 給早晨帶來
un vapor de planeta. a vapor of the planet. 行星之氣。
Desde otra estrella From another star 從另一星
caen gotas de plata. fall drops of silver. 掉下銀點。
Se respira Breathes 變動正
el cambio change 跨界
de fronteras, across borders, 呼吸，
de la humeda al viento, from dampness to wind, 濕氣化風，
del viento a las raíces. from wind to roots. 風化根莖。
Algo sordo, profundo, Something deaf, deep 有些無聲，深遽的東西
trabaja bajo la tierra stirs beneath the earth 在地下蠕動
almacenado sueños. stored dreams. 藏着夢想。
La energia se ovilla, Strength is rolled into a ball 力量球化
la cinta the ribbon 受孕之
de las fecundaciones of fertilization 絲帶
enrolla rolls 捲成
sus anillos. its rings. 指環。
Modesto es el otoño modest is autumn 秋季是謙遜的
como los leñadores. as woodcutters. 若樵夫。
Cuesta mucho It's a lot of work 須付出很多以
sacar todas las ojas to remove all the leaves 割下每國
de todos los árboles of all the trees 每株樹之
de todos los paises. of all the countries. 每片葉。
La primavera Spring 春季
las cosió volando stitched them on the fly 飛快把他們縫上
y ahora and now 而現在
hay que dejarlas we have to allow them 須讓他們
caer como si fueran to fall as if 若黄雀般
párajos amarillos. they were yellow birds 墮下。
No es fácil. It's not easy. 這不易為
Hace falta tiempo. Not much time 時間很少
Hay que correr por todos You have to go through 須走遍
los caminos,\ all the paths, 所有路
hablar idiomas, talk 說
sueco, Swedish, 瑞與語
portuguès, Portuguese, 葡萄牙語
hablar en lenga roja, talk in red language 以紅語
en lengua verde. in green language. 綠語說話。
Hay que saber You have to know 必須懂怎樣使
callar en todos to still every 所有語言
los idiomas tongue 停口
y en todas partes, and everywhere 而在各地
siempre always 永
dejar caer, let fall, 讓
caer, fall, 葉子
dejar caer, let fall, 墮下
caer, fall, 讓他們墮下
las hojas. the leaves. 墮下。
Good morning! It's always great to come here because reading your article like listening to a piece of soft music. Thank you! Elzorro.
回覆刪除[版主回覆10/07/2010 10:19:00]Thank you for your kind words. I shall try to write so as not to disappoint.
今次好好多有好多解釋 呢 . .高人哥哥
回覆刪除[版主回覆10/07/2010 10:15:00]Thank you for you compliments but please stop addressing me by that noun. It is an "improper" noun! It places an intolerable burden on my shoulders!
It places an intolerable burden on my shoulders! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 咁易 ? ..咁點叫呀哥哥 ... 高過傻熊就係高啦 哈哈 .. 叫你927 哥哥 啦
回覆刪除[版主回覆10/07/2010 10:22:00]If you keep on doing that. I have a weapon too. It's called the "blacklist." . Anything but that horrible axe on my neck!
It's called the "blacklist ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 嘩..... 好惡 呀. .講0下笑0者咁快要入黑名單 .......... 好驚呀.. elzorro927 "蝦" 細路熊呀
回覆刪除[版主回覆10/07/2010 10:43:00]If you promise to behave, El Zorro has a soft spot in his heart too!
Thanks for introducing Pablo Neruda's "Ode to Autumn". It's a nice way to learn Spanish with your translation.
回覆刪除I have found this You Tube clip called "Ode al Amor" (Ode to love?) by Pablo Neruda for your enjoyment.
Cheers,
[版主回覆10/07/2010 10:41:00]In fact, I am learning Spanish as I do the translations too. Doing translations of poem of one of the ways I use to improve on my Spanish. In fact, I got a Spanish exam tonight!
Thanks for the introduction. You're always great in helping me find resources on the internet! Thank you so much again!
Any time, sir!
回覆刪除Best of luck ( mejor de las suertes?) with your Spanish exam tonight!
[版主回覆10/07/2010 13:36:00]Muchas gracias!
好美的詩篇呢
回覆刪除[版主回覆10/07/2010 13:37:00]Thank you for visiting. Thank the poet, not me.
Dear Elzorro, I've just learnt that You are going to have an exam tonight, so wish you all the best!
回覆刪除[版主回覆10/07/2010 15:28:00]Thank you. Very kind of you.
reading this spanish poem has reminded me the words that i have long forgotten. must relearn spanish. thanks for the translation, else i wouldnt have a chance to appreciate Neruda's poems....
回覆刪除[版主回覆10/07/2010 22:21:00]It's good to be reminded of what one has forgotten from time to time. Glad to be instrumental in rekindling your interest in this beautiful language!
好美的意境！
回覆刪除[版主回覆10/07/2010 21:39:00]Neruda writes very simply and sensuously. He doesn't waste words. Glad you like him too.
love the poems of Neruda, esp. this one, "If You Forget Me"
回覆刪除Spanish exam tonight? good luck
[版主回覆10/07/2010 22:03:00]I don't think I have seen the poem you mentioned. I have got The Poetry of Pablo Neruda ed. by Ilan Stavans , Odes to Opposites ed. by Jen Krabbenhoft and Selected Poems, Pablo Neruda ed. by Nathaniel Tarn also his Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada which I have already translated. Do you have the exact Spanish name of the poem? Maybe I can look it up and do a Chinese translation of that too.
The Exam is over now. I had to leave office early and spent two solid hours to do revision. It was time well spent. I don't think I should have any problems and graduate to the next class. I was told by the Registry staff there that it was the highest ever ran by Baptist U in its history!.
"Si tú me olvidas" by Neruda
回覆刪除I search it from the Internet and do not know if it is correct
[版主回覆10/07/2010 23:49:00]Found it on the internet. Will do my English and Chinese translations from the Spanish original later. Must ask you to bear with me for a while after I'm done with the autumn poems first.
(Empty)
回覆刪除[版主回覆10/08/2010 09:44:00]Wow! What a big mellon! Thanks.
This poem makes me feeling the love of nature ...
回覆刪除The autumn is so beautiful with the colours of yellowing leaves which all falling down just no different in any country ~ I think Neruda wants to tell all the people the nature of love is the same to human being ~ SO ~ we should share our love to each other with any racial discrimination, we should praise the world with our thankgiving heart to celebrate the pure love as the nature does to us ...
This poem makes me feeling the love of nature ...
回覆刪除The autumn is so beautiful with the colours of yellowing leaves which all falling down just no different in any country ~ I think Neruda wants to tell all the people the nature of love is the same to human being ~ SO ~ we should share our love to each other without racial discrimination, we should praise the world with our thankgiving heart and to celebrate the pure love as the nature does to us ...
[版主回覆10/08/2010 09:38:00]Yes, you are right. Neruda helps us realize the beauty of autumn which belongs to the entire world, irresepctive of the kind of language we speak. Of course, he speaks in Spanish and writes in Spanish. But what he writes about is universal. He writes about something which we can all see and feel. We should all celebrate the fact that we are still alive and are still able to witness the peculiar beauty that is autumn's: its reds and its golds.
Perhaps this may be of use :
回覆刪除[版主回覆10/08/2010 09:35:00]Thank you so much. As always, you are invariably helpful. Thanks again!
Good morning! Elzorro, Wish you have a best result of your Spanish exam. Have a pleasant day!!! Any more exam for you?
回覆刪除[版主回覆10/08/2010 09:42:00]Good morning, my young lady. I have very modest hopes. I merely hope to be just good enough to be able to be accepted into the next class so that I can continue to explore this beautiful language and the poems written with it. No more exam until the end of the next quarter which will begin some time in November.
Have a productive day.
oh! thank you to
回覆刪除超哥
that I could have a chance to learn the poem , " if you forget me", which from YouTube clip just now. I like it. Thank You!!!
[版主回覆10/08/2010 19:35:00]Yes, Superman is truly helpful!
Good morning! Elzorro, wish you have a pleasing day today, and take a rest as you have just finished your exam.
回覆刪除[版主回覆10/09/2010 09:37:00]I am used to deadlines. Deadlines only stress me only very briefly. Once the deadlines are past, I'm back to my bouncy self! I do not know why, perhaps God really loves me, not that I have done anything to deserve it, I am naturally happy almost every moment. So you bet I'm going to have a very good day, just like any other day! I'd certainly relax over the weekend. I'm beginning to think that I may have become a wee bit too proficient in "relaxing"! I need to work more!