Words and Stories. Palavras e Histórias.
I was scrolling down a streaming platform the other day when a film caught my eye. And it wasn't only because of Rebecca Ferguson's enchanting face — it was the title, which sounded extraordinarily poetic. Despite the Falling Snow. Granted, as a movie title this is maybe not very good. It leaves us confused about … Continue reading [Poetry analysis] Despite the Falling Snow
It's fascinating to see two literary texts which, though written 180 years apart, match as perfectly as if one author had meant to answer the other. The first text is a prose passage from the novella René, by French writer François-René de Chateaubriand (1768-1848). The second is a short poem by the German philosopher Frithjof … Continue reading [Translated poetry] Disquiet and stillness
Eis minha tradução de um poema da famosa poetisa inglesa Christina Rossetti (1830 - 1894). Ela foi uma autora prolífica, tendo escrito centenas de poemas sobre temas românticos e religiosos, bem como alguns contos e artigos. O pai de Christina era italiano, daí seu sobrenome. Ao traduzir este poema, minha prioridade foi manter o número … Continue reading [Poesia inglesa traduzida] “Nalgum Lugar” de Christina Rossetti
A recurring theme in European folk tales is that of the woman who disguises herself, and for some time lives as a man. In a German tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, in many of the Old Rus' tales, in French and Romanian tales, we see those heroines dress in male attire, take a male … Continue reading [Translated poetry] The Maiden Who Went To War
Let's enjoy two particularly poetic passages from Evelyn Waugh's masterpiece
Sometimes we are walking distractedly down a story when we stumble on a passage that is remarkable and precious. It's the case with Rudyard Kipling's Puck of Pook's Hill. The story of the Roman centurion is very enjoyable, but when we come to this piece of poetry, we are surprised and delighted to see a … Continue reading [Literary passage] A song to the Sun-god
O famoso poeta irlandês W. B. Yeats nos revela um aspecto da feminilidade
Neste famoso poema, o poeta laureado inglês John Masefield (1878 - 1967) evoca com vividez o apelo da vida no mar. Os princípios que usei para a tradução foram dois: manter em cada verso o mesmo número de silabas tônicas do original, e manter ao mesmo tempo todas as imagens que Masefield usa. E quando … Continue reading [Poesia inglesa traduzida] A Febre do Mar
If you are curious about Brazilian poetry, this famous sonnet is a great place to start your discovery.
As a change from our last two English posts, which were about etymology, I thought I'd share here my translation of a sonnet by Brazilian symbolist poet Eduardo Guimaraens (1892-1928). It is very nearly a literal translation, so the sonnet form is lost (I don't think I could translate it keeping the original form anyhow!); … Continue reading [Translated poetry] A Brazilian sonnet by Eduardo Guimaraens
