Translation Workshop

Translation Workshop 14 July 3:00-4:30pm Place TBA

“A South Wind – has a pathos”: Translating
Foreignhood/The Foreignhood of Translation

A translation workshop is a lively conversation about how there always remains “much not understood” in poetry. It is also a discovery of how much more can be shared through translation to enrich the meaning and understanding of a poem. It is a lesson in diversity and tolerance.

The focus of this workshop will be to showcase such diversity through a presentation of the participants’ translation of the poem “A South Wind – has a pathos” (M 401, Fr883), but with the Dickinson and Foreignhood Conference focusing on the notion of “foreignhood” in Dickinson’s writing, the task and duties of translation take on a special significance. Through the translation of “A South Wind – has a pathos” participants will have the occasion to reflect on the forms of distancing at work in translation; to discuss the relationship between “fair[ness]” and “farness” produced by such distancing; and to debate the various forms of estrangement entailed by the translation of this poem into a particular language, and multiple languages.

Participants should have prepared a full translation of the poem before the workshop, in the language(s) of their choice. You can also bring translations of this poem that have already been published. Since the poem is partly about speaking in incomprehensible tongues, be creative and translate it into languages you don’t speak! Or into invented languages of foreignhood!

Translations may be sent to Antoine Cazé (antcaze@wanadoo.fr) before July 1, 2022. You must register to participate in this workshop (see Registration page).