I recently had a conversation with a friend about Tolkien in translation. We thought that while there are some aspects of The Lord of the Rings that should be read and experienced in one's native language, such as the interpersonal relationships of the characters, the deep ideas about life, love, etc., there are certain elements of the work that cannot (even should not) be translated. This is not to say that people who don't read English shouldn't be allowed to experience parts of Tolkien's work, but that when translated, these parts can never convey what they do in English. This is true of much that is translated, and is a fact which merely cannot be escaped. Especially regarding the poetry.
The Lord of the Rings is full of poetry, both in Quenya and Sindarin Elvish, and in English. This poetry is beautiful. It is beautiful not only in its content, its story, but also--and I would argue more so--in its form, its execution. The scansion of Tolkien's poetry cannot be reproduced in translation, at least that has been my experience with the French translation I own. The meaning of the story may remain--the bones, if you will--but the glamour of the poem's language--the connective sinews, the blood, the marrow--is lost. I use the word "glamour" with purpose, though I don't have the time to go into its significance right now. Save it for a later post.
As an example, allow me to quote the first stanza of the "Song of Eärendil," in the original English, and then in French:
Eärendil was a mariner
that tarried in Arvernien;
he built a boat with timber felled
in Nimbrethil to journey in;
her sails he wove of silver fair,
of silver were her lanterns made,
her prow he fashioned like a swan,
and light upon her banners laid.
Eärendel était un marin
qui demeurait en Arvernien;
il construisit un bateau d'arbres abattus
à Nimbrethil pour naviguer;
les voiles, il les tissa de bel argent,
d'argent étaient faits les fanaux,
la proue était en forme de cygne,
et la lumière s'étendait sur ses bannières.
Okay, so the French isn't atrocious, but it's not Tolkien. We clearly are made to understand Eärendil's occupation, his dwelling-place, and how he built his boat. But the poetic language doesn't shimmer. There isn't a steady rhythm. The subtle yet complex rhymes, the alliteration, and the octosyllabic lines of the original aren't and simply can't be preserved in translation.
Put simply, in French we hear the story, but we don't experience the glamour. And that is why I would argue that some things just don't translate.
21 November 2007
20 November 2007
The Sun, the sun, and the son (Son?)
Reading Dante's Divine Comedy from start to finish under the guidance of an expert has been an amazing experience thus far. In class we have covered up to Paradiso XIII, and I have recently had somewhat of an epiphany if I may use that term. While the class has been thought-provoking and the text itself interesting and engaging, I have not until now come away from a class with such feelings. Throught my university experience I've felt that a class isn't really good until I've had one of these moments. So I'm happy to say that my Dante class is good!
After that bit of preamble, I'd like to share some thoughts that have been taking root in my mind resulting from the explication of Canto X of the Paradiso. Throughout the Comedy there has been the recurring theme of light, and light vs. dark, and sight vs. blindness. We see Virgil, a pagan, blindly leading Dante, a Christian, by the light of his understanding, which, because it is pre-Christian, supposedly is of no use to himself...but as a Christian, Dante, and the common pilgrim, can use the light of the ancients to better understand Christian values and truth. We see the darkness of Hell contrasted with the light of day (and the dark of night, mind you) of Purgatory, which in turn is contrasted with the brilliance beyond any known earthly light, found in Paradise.
And now we come to Canto X; we are within the Sphere of the Sun, which is effectively a preview of the Empyrean in which dwells God, whose brilliance shines out eternally. So Dante uses the light of the sun, as we mere mortals understand it, to explain the light (if it may be called "light," a word of human language, describing human experience...) of God, which will be encountered at the end of the Paradiso. And, in the same way that we cannot know or fathom the light and love of God, so also can we not fathom the absolute truth of God.
Now, the idea, which was so revelatory to me, is that if you consider how the sense of vision works, it is the only sense requiring the help of a third party, namely light. That is, we can smell, taste, feel, and hear in pitch darkness, but we cannot see without light. Transfer this idea to the human search to find and understand truth, absolute truth, or the will of God, if you will. This is when the light bulb flashed in my brain (pardon the pun). Just as human eyes cannot see an object without the assistance of light, so cannot human intellect understand truth without the assistance of God, or "the good." According to Dante, therefore, humanity needs divine intervention in order to understand anything. This does not lessen the value or complexity or depth of the human intellect, just as the fact that our eyes need light to see does not in any way diminish their complexity and worth.
And so, the Sphere of the Sun foreshadows the Empyrean; it is the Empyrean in the shadow of humand understanding (though the sun is not in the shadow of the earth--it is in fact what causes the earth to cast shadows on the first three spheres...). And in the Empyrean, Dante will encounter God, and thus the Trinity: Father, Son, and Ghost, all shining, three in one, and allowing humans a glimpse when and if it's willed.
And this is why I love Dante.
After that bit of preamble, I'd like to share some thoughts that have been taking root in my mind resulting from the explication of Canto X of the Paradiso. Throughout the Comedy there has been the recurring theme of light, and light vs. dark, and sight vs. blindness. We see Virgil, a pagan, blindly leading Dante, a Christian, by the light of his understanding, which, because it is pre-Christian, supposedly is of no use to himself...but as a Christian, Dante, and the common pilgrim, can use the light of the ancients to better understand Christian values and truth. We see the darkness of Hell contrasted with the light of day (and the dark of night, mind you) of Purgatory, which in turn is contrasted with the brilliance beyond any known earthly light, found in Paradise.
And now we come to Canto X; we are within the Sphere of the Sun, which is effectively a preview of the Empyrean in which dwells God, whose brilliance shines out eternally. So Dante uses the light of the sun, as we mere mortals understand it, to explain the light (if it may be called "light," a word of human language, describing human experience...) of God, which will be encountered at the end of the Paradiso. And, in the same way that we cannot know or fathom the light and love of God, so also can we not fathom the absolute truth of God.
Now, the idea, which was so revelatory to me, is that if you consider how the sense of vision works, it is the only sense requiring the help of a third party, namely light. That is, we can smell, taste, feel, and hear in pitch darkness, but we cannot see without light. Transfer this idea to the human search to find and understand truth, absolute truth, or the will of God, if you will. This is when the light bulb flashed in my brain (pardon the pun). Just as human eyes cannot see an object without the assistance of light, so cannot human intellect understand truth without the assistance of God, or "the good." According to Dante, therefore, humanity needs divine intervention in order to understand anything. This does not lessen the value or complexity or depth of the human intellect, just as the fact that our eyes need light to see does not in any way diminish their complexity and worth.
And so, the Sphere of the Sun foreshadows the Empyrean; it is the Empyrean in the shadow of humand understanding (though the sun is not in the shadow of the earth--it is in fact what causes the earth to cast shadows on the first three spheres...). And in the Empyrean, Dante will encounter God, and thus the Trinity: Father, Son, and Ghost, all shining, three in one, and allowing humans a glimpse when and if it's willed.
And this is why I love Dante.
09 November 2007
Gah!
Why won't my posts keep consistent formatting? I know I'm not doing anything different!!!! The previous post needs more white space between the lines! Gah!!!
Don't worry, still smiling. On the inside?
Don't worry, still smiling. On the inside?
Reasons to smile
I have been very busy lately. In addition to schoolwork, of which I have far too much for my own good, I have been applying to grad programs for next year. I want to go to England, as that would be the place to study medieval English and Norse related things, which are one of my main academic interests. To the point: I have applied to Cambridge, which offers an MPhil in Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic; to Nottingham, which offers an MA in Viking and Anglo-Saxon Studies; and to Leeds, which offers an MA in Medieval English Literature, with optional Old Norse courses as a part of it. Very exciting.
As it turns out, I have been offered places at both Nottingham and Leeds already! I am still waiting to hear back from Cambridge. But two offers, and it is only the beginning of November! Yes, that is a reason to smile.
Other reasons to smile? Well, despite the mammoth truckload of reading, writing, memorization, etc. that I have in front of me for the five classes I'm taking, I am actually feeling quite alright. Not overly overwhelmed, not even overwhelmed; I feel good! And, I feel very much like part of a community at the university--finally, in my fourth year. Life is good; it is difficult, stressful, and frustrating at times, but life is good.
As it turns out, I have been offered places at both Nottingham and Leeds already! I am still waiting to hear back from Cambridge. But two offers, and it is only the beginning of November! Yes, that is a reason to smile.
Other reasons to smile? Well, despite the mammoth truckload of reading, writing, memorization, etc. that I have in front of me for the five classes I'm taking, I am actually feeling quite alright. Not overly overwhelmed, not even overwhelmed; I feel good! And, I feel very much like part of a community at the university--finally, in my fourth year. Life is good; it is difficult, stressful, and frustrating at times, but life is good.
03 November 2007
Not to worry...
... I am still alive. As anyone who reads this may have gathered from my last posts, I though that putting my blogging goals in writing would motivate me to actually see them through. On the contrary, setting them in stone has only caused me guilt and embarrassment. Especially upon discovering that others have discovered my blog... you know who you are.
The thing is, I am far too self-conscious to spontaneously post stuff. I will try to write this post all out and then publish it right away without sitting back and looking at its absurdity and editing it before doing so. Not only am I too self-conscious, I'm too vain. Yes I said it.
And one more thing. I still want to write about all those ambitious topics I laid out for myself in the summer. But summer is gone and fall is well underway; with autumn comes school, and with school comes...insanity. So, this is all for now.
The thing is, I am far too self-conscious to spontaneously post stuff. I will try to write this post all out and then publish it right away without sitting back and looking at its absurdity and editing it before doing so. Not only am I too self-conscious, I'm too vain. Yes I said it.
And one more thing. I still want to write about all those ambitious topics I laid out for myself in the summer. But summer is gone and fall is well underway; with autumn comes school, and with school comes...insanity. So, this is all for now.
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