Re: new relay

I have a text for a new relay translation game;  it's marvelous, and
it's
not one I have made up.  If I should ever head another relay game, the
surprise would be to reveal the real text, in its own language, at the
end of the relay.  It IS a short poem--but simple and repetitive.  But
since I have been having intermittent server problems, I think maybe
someone should do a prose piece.  But that can have the same problems
as poetry.  Sometimes even more.  If it's an argument, something, say,
from Sun Tzu's Art of War, that can quickly dissolve into gibberish,
whereas poetry can maintain at least a poetic sense and the power of
imagery.  In fact, the Bast Relay had this very problem.  The original
text--what you hear in the wind may heal you; what you hear at the
keyhole may make you heartsick--was more aphoristic than poetic.  (The
Gospel of Bastet is a collection of aphorisms).  It had an argument
that quickly dissolved when the text changed.  Many of you expressed
bafflement as the Relay went on.

In fact, I don't understand the bias against poetry that some of you
have been expressing.  Neither Irina nor Nicole offered a poem
that was too complicated or that required rhyming or embellishment.  In
fact, all the translations have been "prose-poems."  While written out
in lines of poetry, like Nicole's fairy poem, the effect has been lined
prose.  Cultural biases can lurk in prose texts just as well as poetic
texts.  That, in fact, is the whole point of the game.  That's what
changes the texts.  The point is to introduce difference into the
translation process.  Not just literally translate from one language
into another.

In the poem that I would propose, there would be no deities like Bast,
no fairies, no animals.  No aphorisms.  It's lines repeat.  It's
sentiment is humanly universal.

But as I said, if you want someone different heading this, with a prose
text, perhaps the time is ripe to select a new Relay chair, and I'll
wait until later, given my server problems lately.

Also, count me in, too, for the Relay!

Sally

The Gray Wizard wrote:
>
> Somehow I've managed to miss all the previous relays.  Don't know why, since
> I love doing translations.  In any case count me and amman iar in on this
> one (not sure nathya is ready quite yet).
>
> I agree with Dirk about the cultural biases that often lurk in poetry.  A
> bit of prose would be better, I think.  As for Tolkien, well, I'm currently
> on a Quenya linguistic binge and am in the process of reviewing my rather
> extensive T. collection.  I'm afraid I am all too likely to stumble upon the
> selected passage no matter how obscure.
>
> OT: I am in the process of Shoeboxing all that I discover about Quenya
> morphosyntax and can already generate some rather impressive interlinear
> translations. Any fellow Shoeboxers or Q enthusiasts interested?
>
> Stay curious,
> David
>
> David E. Bell
> The Gray Wizard
> www.graywizard.net
>
> Wisdom begins in wonder.
--
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scaves@frontiernet.net
http://www.frontiernet.net/~scaves/whatsteo.html

Niffodyr tweluenrem lis teuim an.
"The gods have retractible claws."
                                from _The Gospel of Bastet_
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