Poem
Jacques Roubaud
ART POÉTIQUE
What the poem was saying, I’ve forgottenI had known what the poem was saying, but I’ve
forgotten
The poem was saying this, but this that the poem was
saying, I’ve forgotten
That the poem was saying this, is this what the poem was
saying? If that’s what the poem was saying, I’ve forgotten
Perhaps, without knowing what the poem was saying, as
I was saying the poem, (in the moment I stated the poem), I had
already forgotten
Yet, if that’s what the poem was saying, I’ve forgotten
Now, when I say this poem, I don’t know if I am saying
this poem,
because what the poem was saying, I’ve forgotten
That’s why what this poem is saying is no longer really
what the poem was saying
and that I’ve forgotten
© Translation: 2009, Rosmarie Waldrop, Jean-Jacques Poucel and John Fenoghen
DE KUNST VAN HET DICHTEN
Wat het gedicht zei, ben ik vergetenIk heb geweten wat het gedicht zei, maar ik ben het vergeten
Het gedicht zei dat, maar datgene wat het gedicht zei, ben ik vergeten
Dat het gedicht dat zei, is dat datgene wat het gedicht zei? Als dat datgene is wat het gedicht zei, dan ben ik het vergeten
Misschien, zonder te weten wat het gedicht zei, terwijl ik het gedicht zei, (in de tijd dat ik het gedicht zei), was ik het al vergeten
maar als het datgene is wat het gedicht zei, dan ben ik het vergeten
Nu, wanneer ik dat gedicht zeg, weet ik niet of ik dat gedicht zeg,
want datgene wat dat gedicht zei, ben ik vergeten
Dat is de reden waarom datgene wat het gedicht zegt niet meer datgene is wat het gedicht zei
en dat ik ben vergeten
© Vertaling: 2009, Jan H. Mysjkin
ART POÉTIQUE
Ce que disait le poème, je l’ai oubliéJ’ai su ce que disait ce poème, mais je l’ai oublié
Le poème disait cela, mais cela que disait le poème, je
l’ai oublié
Que le poème disait cela, est-ce cela que disait le
poème? Si c’est cela que disait le poème, je l’ai oublié
Peut-être, sans savoir ce que disait le poème, alors que
je disais le poème, (au temps où je disais le poème), déjà je
l’avais oublié
mais si c’est cela que disait le poème, je l’ai oublié
Maintenant, quand je dis ce poème, je ne sais pas si je
dis ce poème,
puisque ce que disait ce poème, je l’ai oublié
C’est pourquoi ce que dit ce poème n’est plus vraiment
ce que disait le poème
et que j’ai oublié
© 2009, Jacques Roubaud
Poems
Poems of Jacques Roubaud
Close
ART POÉTIQUE
What the poem was saying, I’ve forgottenI had known what the poem was saying, but I’ve
forgotten
The poem was saying this, but this that the poem was
saying, I’ve forgotten
That the poem was saying this, is this what the poem was
saying? If that’s what the poem was saying, I’ve forgotten
Perhaps, without knowing what the poem was saying, as
I was saying the poem, (in the moment I stated the poem), I had
already forgotten
Yet, if that’s what the poem was saying, I’ve forgotten
Now, when I say this poem, I don’t know if I am saying
this poem,
because what the poem was saying, I’ve forgotten
That’s why what this poem is saying is no longer really
what the poem was saying
and that I’ve forgotten
© 2009, Rosmarie Waldrop, Jean-Jacques Poucel and John Fenoghen
ART POÉTIQUE
What the poem was saying, I’ve forgottenI had known what the poem was saying, but I’ve
forgotten
The poem was saying this, but this that the poem was
saying, I’ve forgotten
That the poem was saying this, is this what the poem was
saying? If that’s what the poem was saying, I’ve forgotten
Perhaps, without knowing what the poem was saying, as
I was saying the poem, (in the moment I stated the poem), I had
already forgotten
Yet, if that’s what the poem was saying, I’ve forgotten
Now, when I say this poem, I don’t know if I am saying
this poem,
because what the poem was saying, I’ve forgotten
That’s why what this poem is saying is no longer really
what the poem was saying
and that I’ve forgotten
© 2009, Rosmarie Waldrop, Jean-Jacques Poucel and John Fenoghen
Sponsors
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère