Poetry Translation Competition: Fun and Games with Language
In November, Leiden organized a book presentation to celebrate the first Dutch translation of the collected works of the twentieth-century poet W.H. Auden. A poetry translation contest added lustre to the occasion. There were no fewer than three winners.
'Initially we felt that presenting the Auden translation would be celebration enough in itself,’ says Jan van Dijkhuizen, who co-organised the competition with Katinka Zeven. 'But then an exciting idea popped into our heads: why not make this into a celebration of literary translation more broadly, inviting students to show off their literary translation skills?'
As luck would have it, Auden's translator Han van der Vegt is a poet himself, and his poem 'Alles is beschikbaar' (various translations are possible; see below!) was posted online, along with an invitation to submit English translations. Fourteen participants responded, mainly students. 'We were pleasantly surprised by that number,' says Van Dijkhuizen. 'There were no study credits to be obtained, nor did we have any big prizes to give away. That students felt motivated to take part shows that they enjoy engaging so intensively with language, no matter what the pessimists say.'
Consistency
Translating a poem is a dauntingly complex task, says Van Dijkhuizen. 'On the one hand, it requires a deep dive into the source text, yet the translation should also be a viable poem in its own right. Often, this means daring to divert from the original work. This in turn requires creativity.'
According to the jury, Jo ten Bolscher, Veerle Tiemersma, and Will Wroth did just that. While other participants did come up with a range of inventive solutions for specific lines or phrases, what made the winning three translations stand out was their consistency: ‘the poem contains a great many repetitions, so it's vital that you retain these throughout,’ Van Dijkhuizen explains.
'Mixed Feelings'
'I initially had slightly mixed feelings about having one of my own poems selected for the translation competition,' says translator Han van der Vegt. ‘After all, the event was supposed to be about Auden. Nevertheless, I was pleasantly surprised by the students’ enthusiasm and by their excellent and creative translations. In fact, now that I see how difficult to translate the poem is, I’ve come to look at it differently. This illustrates how suitable a vehicle it is for a translation competition.’
'Maybe I too could do it'
English Language and Culture student Jo ten Bolscher didn't expect to win. 'I was really surprised. When I received the email with the call for entries, I thought the competition would be suitable for a poetry-writing friend of mine, and for another friend who's currently doing the MA in translation. However, I found myself returning to the poem in my head over and over again. Lines would pop up into my brain and I was starting to believe that maybe I too could do it. On the day of the deadline, I decided to submit my translation after all. Winning really felt like an encouragement to keep engaging with poetry.'
'Playing with Repetition'
Veerle Tiemersma didn't expect to win either. 'Last semester I did the translation minor, which I really enjoyed. When I saw the announcement for the competition, I knew I had to participate, although admittedly, it was also a good excuse to procrastinate: I was working on a thesis about Ali Smith. Smith is known for her wordplay, and in my thesis I focus on the repetition of words and sounds in her work. This is why I also wanted to play with repetition in my own translation of Van der Vegt’s poem, and why I translated the word "alles" as "all". ‘All’ resonates with the Dutch, but also, for example, with the word "installation", which occurs later in the poem. When the winners were announced, I really enjoyed hearing what solutions other participants had found for the same issues. One had translated "alles" as "totality". I wouldn't have dared to do that because it's so different from the Dutch.'
'Taking a Risk'
'I did take the risk of translating “alles” as “totality”’, says Will Wroth, one of the three prize winners. 'In English, this word does not only mean “everything” in terms of “complete content”, but also underscores the sheer scope of ‘alles’ by suggesting the existence of something beyond it. I found this to be so fitting that I chose it as my translation of the word “alles”, although I did divert from it three times towards the end. You're taking a risk, of course; readers might find it ridiculous. But in this case, it worked. I've completed my BA in English Language and Culture, but I'll definitely continue making literary translations. For example, I've translated many CD booklets, but also materials for an architectural firm. They're very keen on linguistic precision, which makes for a really nice interaction. I love that. It’s this kind of literary craftsmanship that DeepL or Google Translate aren’t capable of.'
Alles is beschikbaar
gefeliciteerd
u hebt besloten alles te downloaden
als iemand alles verdient dan bent u het wel!
uw download van alles wordt voorbereid
waarschuwing
alles zal uw systeem en uw leven onherkenbaar veranderen
de gevolgen van de installatie van alles zijn onvoorspelbaar
uw systeem is goedgekeurd voor de installatie van alles
met alles begint de tijd van genieten
nog even geduld, dan kunt u van alle mogelijkheden profiteren
gaat u akkoord met de aan alles verbonden voorwaarden?
geeft u alles toestemming om uw systeem volledig te herzien?
de installatie van alles valt niet ongedaan te maken
alleen alles kan alles verbeteren
uw download van alles is begonnen
nog vijfentwintig minuten, dan is uw download compleet
o alles bereidt u voor op elke uitdaging
o alles is nu binnen handbereik
nog tien minuten, dan is uw download compleet
u hebt nog even tijd om u op de nieuwe mogelijkheden te verheugen
o alles is anders
o alles heeft een heldere interface
o alles biedt onbeperkte opslagcapaciteit
o alles kent oneindige toepassingen
profiteer ook van alles op uw andere apparaten
alleen alles zelf kan u de mogelijkheden van alles tonen
nog vijf minuten, dan is uw download compleet
uw hele leven is voorspel op dit moment
nog een minuut, dan is uw download compleet
alles wordt uitgepakt
o alles heeft beschikking over alles
o alles heeft toegang tot alles
o alles heeft bevoegdheid tot alles
alleen alles kan alles upgraden
alles wordt geïnstalleerd
de tijd van genieten is vrijwel aangebroken
alles kan beginnen
Han van der Vegt
All is available
congratulations
you have decided to download all
if anyone deserves all, it is you!
your download of all is being prepared
warning
all will alter your system and your life beyond recognition
the effects of installing all are unpredictable
your system has been approved for the installation of all
the age of bliss begins with all
you can put all to good use in just a few moments
do you accept all terms and conditions?
do you permit all to overhaul your system completely?
the installation of all cannot be reversed
all alone can enhance all
your download of all has started
twenty-five more minutes until your download is complete
o all prepares you for every challenge
o all is now within reach
ten more minutes until your download is complete
you could use this time to relish the new possibilities
o all has altered
o all has a clear interface
o all offers unlimited storage capacity
o all has infinite uses
put all to good use on your other devices too
only all itself can show you all possibilities
five more minutes until your download is complete
your whole life has been leading up to this moment
one more minute until your download is complete
unpacking all
o all has all at its disposal
o all has access to all
o all is entitled to all
all alone can upgrade all
installing all
the age of bliss has all but dawned
all is ready to begin
Veerle Tiemersma
Totality is now available
Congratulations
you have chosen to download totality
if anyone deserves totality, it’s you!
your totality download is being readied
warning
totality will transform your system and your life beyond recognition
installing totality brings with it unforeseeable consequences
your system has been approved to install totality
the age of pleasure begins with totality
in just a moment you will be able to take advantage of every possibility
do you consent to totality’s terms and conditions?
do you permit totality to comprehensively overhaul your system?
the installation of totality is irreversible
only totality itself can enhance totality
your totality download has commenced
your download will be finalised in twenty-five minutes
totality equips you for every challenge
totality is now within touching distance
your download will be finalised in ten minutes
you still have a moment more to delight in the new possibilities
totality is different
totality has a straightforward interface
totality offers boundless storage capacity
totality lends itself to unlimited applications
you can also enjoy totality on your other devices
only totality itself can demonstrate totality’s potential
your download will be finalised in five minutes
your entire life has been a prelude to this moment
your download will be finalised in one minute
totality is being extracted
totality has disposition over everything
totality has access to everything
totality has authority over everything
only totality itself can upgrade totality
totality is being installed
the age of pleasure is about to unfold
totality can commence
Will Wroth
at your fingertips
congratulations
you have chosen to download everything
clearly there’s nobody more deserving!
your download of everything is being prepared
warning
installing everything will change your system and your life forever
installing everything will have unintended consequences
your system has been cleared for the installation of everything
with everything, the time of rapture nears
please look forward to the endless possibilities
do you agree to everything’s terms and conditions?
do you agree to let everything overwrite your system?
installing everything cannot be undone
only everything can improve everything
your download of everything has begun
twenty-five minute(s) until your download is complete
o, everything prepares you for everything!
o, everything is at your fingertips!
ten minute(s) until your download is complete
you still have time to look forward to the new possibilities
o, everything has changed
o, everything has a clean interface
o, everything offers unlimited storage
o, everything can do anything
enjoy everything across all your devices
only everything can reveal the possibilities of everything
five minute(s) until your download is complete
this is the moment your entire life has been leading up to
one minute(s) until your download is complete
everything is being unwrapped
o, everything can control everything
o, everything can access everything
o, everything can authorize everything
only everything can upgrade everything
everything is being installed
the time of rapture is nigh
everything may begin
Jo ten Bolscher