Today I want to share an exercise in poetry translation with you. When I’m not writing, I’m usually translating in order to keep me on my toes. I’ve found myself thinking a lot about this poem by Ingeborg Bachmann, originally published in 1953. Its prescience to the current state of the world hardly needs expounding. I’m presenting you here with the original German poem first and my translation second.
Alle Tage
Der Krieg wird nicht mehr erklärt,
sondern fortgesetzt. Das Unerhörte
ist alltäglich geworden. Der Held
bleibt den Kämpfen fern. Der Schwache
ist in die Feuerzonen gerückt.
Die Uniform des Tages ist die Geduld,
die Auszeichnung der armselige Stern
der Hoffnung über dem Herzen.
Today is Trans Day of Visibility and I thought I’d share my TDOV poem from last year, because I had no place to put it then and I quite like it. To all my trans friends, lovers, and favorites: Be proud of who you are and what you had to do to get here. This world is better off with you all in it <3