Lost in Translation

Soneto XVI by Pablo Neruda

Amo el trozo de tierra que tú eres,

porque de las praderas planetarias

otra estrella no tengo. Tú repites

la multiplicación del universo.

Tus anchos ojos son la luz que tengo

de las constelaciones derrotadas,

tu piel palpita como los caminos

que recorre en la lluvia el meteoro.

De tanta luna fueron para mí tus caderas,

de todo el sol tu boca profunda y su delicia,

de tanta luz ardiente como miel en la sombra.

Tu corazón quemado por largos rayos rojos,

y así recorro el fuego de tu forma besándote,

pequeña y planetaria, paloma y geografía.

------------

I love you and your earthly flesh,

because from the planetary meadows

I have no other star. You repeat

the multiplication of the universe.

Your broad eyes are the light that I have

from the vanquished constellations;

your skin throbs like the paths

traced by a meteor through the rain.

I felt your hips were made of moon;

your mouth and its delights were a sun

burning bright like honey in the shade,

Your heart burnt by long red rays,

and thus I kiss across your blazing shape,

small and planetary, dove-like and geographical.

I hate when things get lost in translation, both literally and figuratively speaking. When something so perfect and poignant in one language is completely butchered in two when it's translated into another -- it pains me, inside and out. This has actually been happening to me a lot lately, for both Spanish as well as Chinese. I'll search for ways to convey phrases and subsequently meanings that are contextually and linguistically specific from one tongue to the next, and of course something always inevitably gets lost in translation. And even though I realize that these are the types of nuances that differentiate languages as well as create new ones, I find myself secretly wishing that there existed some universals that everyone could agree upon, or recognize. I guess that's just the beauty inherent to the human tongue, and the millions upon millions of permutations it can generate. And now that I think about it, there already are universals that extend across linguistic borders, namely universally accepted and understood concepts. There are over 100 ways to say I love you, but the sentiments are the same in every language.

So basically this post was completely pointless!

Going off to snuggle in bed now.