Translating Neruda: The Way to Macchu Picchu

by John Felstiner

What goes into the translating of a poem? Usually that process gets forgotten once the new poem stands intact in translation. Yet a verse translation derives from historical, biographical, and philosophical research, interpretive analysis of the original poem, and continuous linguistic and prosodic choices that parallel those the poet made. Taking as a text Pablo Neruda's brilliant prophetic sequence Alturas de Macchu Picchu (1945), the author here re-creates the entire process of translation, from his first encounter with the poem to the last shaping of a phrase that may never come right in English. This many-faceted book forms an essay on the theory and practice of literary translation, a study of Neruda's career through 1945, and an interpretation of his major poem, all of which lead to a striking new poem in English, Heights of Macchu Picchu, printed along with the original Spanish. This genesis of a verse translation also includes little-known biographical data, hitherto untranslated poems and prose from the years 1920 to 1945, and new translations of key poems from Neruda's Residence on Earth and Spain in My Heart.

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Literary Criticism, Writing

296 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[g026r · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you hold that there's such a thing as a niche book, Translating Neruda is probably a great example of it. At heart it's a long description of the process and choices that went into creating Felstiner's translation of The Heights of Macchu Picchu that closes the work.

To understand the whys and hows of a mid-career culmination like Heights however, you really need to understand what came before. As such, much of the book is taken up by a discussion of Neruda's life and poetry prior to his visit to Macchu Picchu and the composition born of that. That done, the work then discusses root words, vowel (and consonant) sounds, syllables and stresses, and the difficulties of expressing someone else's thoughts from one language to another.

A wonderful work that gave me a new understanding of Heights that I had failed to get from either the Tarn or Schmit translations, but at the same time unlikely to appeal to anyone who isn't interested in either Neruda or the process of translating, and preferably both.

[Meg Clayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a lovely discussion of the thought and care that goes into a good translation of literary work in general, and the amazing poetry of Pablo Neruda in particular, and intertwined with it, the work of criticism. John Felstiner takes us through his work translating Neruda, beginning when he first read Alturas de Macchu Picchu on a trip accompanying his wife, Mary Felstiner, on a year of historical research in Chile, through his work translating the poem. "Perhaps the real 'origin' behind any translation occurs not in the written poem, but in the poet's voice speaking the verse aloud." His story of his efforts to uncover that voice is nearly as lovely as the poem itself and the ruins at Macchu Picchu about which both artists - Neruda and Felstiner - write.

[Claire Abs]

to-read

[hh · Rating 3 out of 5]

really good read for anyone interested in poetry and translation. an in-depth look at one translator's process. one element of this that fascinated for me was the chapter about translating other poems as preparation for understanding how to translate "alturas de machu picchu." very cool stuff.

i would have given this four stars, except that i think the more neruda i read, the less i like him. i'm sure he had a strong attachment to his convictions, but his constant co-opting of women, native peoples, workers, you name it, just feels sleazy to me. :/ and felstiner's lame defenses of this aspect of neruda are a turn off.

reread: 15 february 2013

[Steven Carr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this book during travels to Chile, stomping grounds of Pablo Neruda. More academic - dissection of spanish-to-english translation dynamics. Appreciate much better the subtleties and talent required to produce translated works that do justice to the original text and resonate the same way with the audience. Also an interesting way to study language play of such a language-rich medium (poetry).

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was lovely. Very thoughtful.