Me parece que el traducir de una lengua a otra es como quien mira los tapices flamencos por el revés, que aunque se ven las figuras, están llenas de hilos que las oscurecen, y no se ven con la lisura y tez del haz; y el traducir de lenguas fáciles, ni arguye ingenio ni elocución, como no le arguye el que traslada ni el que copia un papel de otro papel––dijo don Quijote.
Y aún así le dije a Enrique Fierro, simpatizante de los rinocerontes––Tomemos prestada la pelota de ping-pong de nuestros amigos Lorenzo y Margarita, y aquí escribámonos y traduzcámonos el uno al otro. Pero, tejamos reversos, traducciones traidoras, como falsos amigos, des faux amis que se miran, pero no se reconocen.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Oh, how much of what Malachy prophesied I could translate upon a dark computer screen just by muting out those poor invariable nights! In the end however, the recovered voice always calls, letting that inexplicable silence leak through the phone to Manning. The violent silence of Albert Savine, Castor, Pollux, the Argonauts or that of Rousseau's grumpy exterior pierced by Narcisse Virgilio de la Peña and his peg leg.

I begged for the sharp blade of Inspector Montalbano's reoccurring saber, or for that of Empedocles' dialogue, of Dos Passos' José Robles, of Thomas' White Horse serving aguardiente to the hieronicae. And then from within the glory of the olive a tiny black palm reappeared reading Fierro, thanks to Fidel Sclavo, the one who attends to who hasn't been said and reads what nobody has ever written.

Told to reclaim your missing valise, like Aldo's (ardent) or Margarita's (pinched), it's all salt in your fifth metatarsal. Then through a crescent Novalis make haste towards Pascal, or shall we agree to stop here? I yawn, because this has taken too long, wondering, "What was my uncle's name again? Floro?" I'll stick with you as you share with me the odor and rumor of that old ship, your murmur and clamor, your sighing sleepy machines.

1 comment:

  1. todo es encantamiento acá. hace poco, lorenzo y yo hablamos de tíos, Floro es un gran nombre de tío inexistente.
    cambio y fuera ;)

    M

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