To Translate or Not to Translate?

The act of reading Death Fugue by Paul Celan in several translation versions impressed upon me the difference that one translator can make. The poem remained fairly similar in idea and thought but even the slightest word change could add a totally different feel to the poem's line.

One section that stuck out to me in the translation by John Felstiner was:

He shouts play death more sweetly Death is a master from Deutschland
he shouts scrape your strings darker you'll rise then in smoke to the sky
You'll have a grave then in the clouds there you won't lie too cramped

In contrast, the same three lines have many different word choices in Jerome Rothenberg's:

He calls play that death thing more sweetly Death is a gang-boss aus Deutschland
he calls scrape that fiddle more darkly then hover like smoke in the air
then scoop out a grave in the clouds where it’s roomy to lie

It fascinates me that an original poem can be translated in so many ways and also shows how word choice in poetry is so important. One word can make all the difference. Felstiner uses "he shouts" instead of Rothenberg's "he calls"; Felstiner's version adds a violence and harshness to the line, while the use of the verb call reminds one of a beckoning, which creates a much gentler image.  Rothenberg uses "gang-boss" instead of "master," which gives one the impression of slang, or a more informal feel. The second line in both is very similar, with just a  few altered words. In Rothenberg's version, we get a specific object, a "fiddle," while in Felstiner's, we just know that someone plays "strings." Felstine's image of "rising like smoke to the sky" is more immediate than Rothenberg's "hover like smoke in the air," yet both give the effect of something slow and thick gathering. As for similarity, it is interesting that both choose to use the word scrape, when they could have picked any number of verbs. Finally, I personally think Rothenberg has the vivid image down pat, while Felstine could use a little work. This is seen in the last line, when Rothenberg uses "scoop out a grave in the clouds where it's roomy to lie." The line has a delicious image, especially because to scoop out the sky immediately brings an unconventional image to mind. Felstine simply says, "You'll have a grave there in the clouds, you won't lie too cramped," and perhaps this is because he did not take as many liberties with the translation and tried to stick to the original as closely as possible.

In conclusion, the translations are both talk about Death and images of the sky and smoke that characterize dying but I personally like Rothenberg's version better due to his use of interesting imagery.

On the heels of a mourning weekend, this poem has brought some comfort, perhaps because it reminds me that in a world of imperfections, to hurt is to eventually heal.