Wednesday, July 23, 2014

POET OF WWI AND HIS SONNET INTO BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE



On Seeing a Piece of our Heavy Artillery Brought into Action

Wilfred Owen

Be slowly lifted up, thou long black arm,
Great Gun towering towards Heaven, about to curse;
Sway steep against them, and for years rehearse
Huge imprecations like a blasting charm!
Reach at that Arrogance which needs thy harm,
And beat it down before its sins grow worse.
Spend our resentment, cannon, -yea, disburse
Our gold in shapes of flame, our breaths in storm.


Yet, for men's sakes whom thy vast malison
Must wither innocent of enmity,
Be not withdrawn, dark arm, the spoilure done,
Safe to the bosom of our prosperity.
But when thy spell be cast complete and whole,
May God curse thee, and cut thee from our soul!



TRANSLATION INTO BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE


Ao ver um pelotão de nossa artilharia pesada em ação
 
tradução de Mariangela Pedro
 
Ganha lentamente projeção, longo pelotão no escuro,
Grande Arma espichando ao Céu, afoita por insultar;
Cadencia altiva, contra eles está anos a fio a ensaiar
Graves ofensas a passarem por estonteante apuro!
Chega à Arrogância, inseparável de teu dizimar,
E os elimina, antes que se graduem em um pecado mais maduro.
Aproveita nosso ressentimento, canhão em ação, - para dissipar
Sim, no temporal, nosso vigor e, moldado em labaredas, nosso ouro.
 
Contudo, em consideração àqueles fadados
por tua maligna carga a sucumbir sem reação,
Não haveremos de, trágico pelotão, em meio à destruição,
Recuar em segurança aos nossos ninhos abastados.
De fato queremos, quando tal maldição absoluta for,
Que Deus dela cuide, e livre nossa alma desse horror!


NOTES from the translator:

If it seems to you that the very title is 'totally mistranslated', take your time and check in a good dictionary: artillery can refer to weaponry or to soldiers.  Arm is not just 'braço'. That would be just for a start.
I have elaborated on the interpretation of the sonnet (in Portuguese) here

We have negatively taken the translation by Nelson Ascher. See our full discussion of his translation (in Portuguese) here

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