Parabolic Ballad

[Mark Wright AIA]

hOWdy

My life, like a rocket, makes a parabola
flying in darkness, — no rainbow for traveler.

vs.

Among [along?] a parabola life like a rocket flies,
Mainly in darkness, now and then on a rainbow.

The translation of poetry is a wretched business. A few words in
common, a simile... Is there a rainbow, or is there not? 
How dare any of us think we we have "read" the Word of God?
Mark

--- Jasper Fidget <jasper at hatguild.org> wrote:
> > 
> > > Just stumbled on this, wondered if anyone had noted it before:
> > >
> > > Along a parabola life like a rocket flies,
> > > Mainly in darkness, now and then on a rainbow
> > >
> > > Andrei Voznesensky, "Parabolic Ballad" (1963)
> > > http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/557.html
> > 
> > No, it's 1958.
> 
> Ah, yes I copied the translation date.  Is this considered source
> material
> then?  There is also this translation (from the other direction as it
> were):
> 
> http://spintongues.vladivostok.com/voznesensky2.html
> 
> 


	
		
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