Artikel
Editorial: 22 September, 2003
18 januari 2006
With Twainian inner smiles
It bursts;
Out of the breadth
Of Coranic shades
It blossoms.
And unorthodox is what we like at PIW. Another unusual viewpoint comes from translator Lisa Katz, who argues convincingly in her essay {id="371" title="‘In favor of difference’"} that something is gained in the translation of poetry. A breath of fresh air after the age-old, tedious laments for the poetic subtleties and music that are forever supposed to vanish in translation, or complaints like Robert Frost’s that poetry itself is what gets lost. Yes, we say, poetry is translatable, and sometimes the translation is even better than the original.
Unorthodox in many ways is the inclusion in the Israeli magazine, this quarter, of Palestinian poet {id="3181" title="Taha Muhammad Ali"}, one of the most best-liked poets writing in the Arabic language, both in Israel and abroad. Also published are {id="3170" title="Lea Goldberg"} and {id="3157" title="Agi Mishol"}, whose poem {id="3292" title="‘Woman Martyr’"} is discussed in in Katz’s piece. Essays on all these writers, one interview and a discussion on the use(lessness) of poetry festivals can be found in the Israeli magazine.
Something not exactly unorthodox, but very special all the same, comes from Zimbabwe this quarter: a selection of {id="5751" title="Shona"} and {id="5750" title="Ndebele"} praise poetry. Strongly traditional, and formulaic in the good sense of the word, these poems are highly distinctive and unlike anything else on PIW.
More personal views can be found in our new {id="381" title="Poets’ diaries"} series, kicked off by Egyptian poet Iman Mersal. Also new this quarter are {id="5526" title="Serhiy Zhadan"}, Natalka Bilotserkivets and {id="5528" title="Yuri Andrukhovych"} in the new Ukrainian magazine of PIW, Italian {id="3545" title="Gabriele Frasca"}, and Chinese poet {id="977" title="Yu Jian"}, co-editor of the Chinese magazine on PIW. Finally, Abu-Talib is not the only Moroccan poet writing in English - do have a look at {id="3817" title="Ben Younes Majen"}.
A Moroccan poem written in "Chaucerian breaths" and "with Milton’s deep sighs" – directly in English. Another one celebrating the "the fasting-drinking-pork-eating Muslim", for why "Practice hypocrisy when faith’s inside?/ Were the Prophet here he’d surely not mind!" These are just some of our favourite things at PIW this week.
"How Unorthodox!", as {id="3824" title="Mohammed Abu-Talib"} titled one of his poems. Wonderfully humorous and ever so slightly subversive, Abu-Talib, a pioneer of English studies in Morocco, wrote his poems directly in English. His work stands as a monument for tolerance and cultural openness. {id="3956" title="How Unorthodox!"} captures it perfectly:With Twainian inner smiles
It bursts;
Out of the breadth
Of Coranic shades
It blossoms.
And unorthodox is what we like at PIW. Another unusual viewpoint comes from translator Lisa Katz, who argues convincingly in her essay {id="371" title="‘In favor of difference’"} that something is gained in the translation of poetry. A breath of fresh air after the age-old, tedious laments for the poetic subtleties and music that are forever supposed to vanish in translation, or complaints like Robert Frost’s that poetry itself is what gets lost. Yes, we say, poetry is translatable, and sometimes the translation is even better than the original.
Unorthodox in many ways is the inclusion in the Israeli magazine, this quarter, of Palestinian poet {id="3181" title="Taha Muhammad Ali"}, one of the most best-liked poets writing in the Arabic language, both in Israel and abroad. Also published are {id="3170" title="Lea Goldberg"} and {id="3157" title="Agi Mishol"}, whose poem {id="3292" title="‘Woman Martyr’"} is discussed in in Katz’s piece. Essays on all these writers, one interview and a discussion on the use(lessness) of poetry festivals can be found in the Israeli magazine.
Something not exactly unorthodox, but very special all the same, comes from Zimbabwe this quarter: a selection of {id="5751" title="Shona"} and {id="5750" title="Ndebele"} praise poetry. Strongly traditional, and formulaic in the good sense of the word, these poems are highly distinctive and unlike anything else on PIW.
More personal views can be found in our new {id="381" title="Poets’ diaries"} series, kicked off by Egyptian poet Iman Mersal. Also new this quarter are {id="5526" title="Serhiy Zhadan"}, Natalka Bilotserkivets and {id="5528" title="Yuri Andrukhovych"} in the new Ukrainian magazine of PIW, Italian {id="3545" title="Gabriele Frasca"}, and Chinese poet {id="977" title="Yu Jian"}, co-editor of the Chinese magazine on PIW. Finally, Abu-Talib is not the only Moroccan poet writing in English - do have a look at {id="3817" title="Ben Younes Majen"}.
© Corine Vloet
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