9/28

 You know, I thought translating regular japanese literature was difficult enough. I don't even want to imagine the difficulty of attempting to translate japanese poetry. In a sense, if you're attempting to translate a poem, you must write a new poem that conveys all of the meaning that the original version had, with an equivalent 'performance', or 'voice' as Pulvers puts it.  The difference between this and regular old literary translation is huge. Sure, when translating something from a novel, there are certain artistic steps to be taken to make sure the work maintains it's rhythm and flow, but the most important step, I think, is to convey the meaning from the original. Conversely with poetry, Beichman says, "if you think translation is producing clones, or reproducing the original in another language, then it's not possible". The translator must take on the role of a sort of "shape-shifter", bending "the poem to the requirements of the target language...but not so radically that its original alien nature is forgotten".  I'd say I pretty much agree with that statement, and is probably how I'd go about translating poetry. However, Being someone who's never had an interest in poetry, even though I was forced to spend countless hours analysing it in highschool,  I wouldn't dare try and translate a poem from Japanese. I think the result would be so horribly butchered from my lack of ability to derive metaphorical meaning and spiritual significance from virtually any written text that it'd no longer be considered a poem once it went through the "worm-hole" of my brain into the English language. At least, that's just my opinion.