Emily Dickinson in Italian translation Lecture 10 Translators

Emily Dickinson in Italian translation Lecture 10

Translators • 1947: Margherita Guidacci • 1956: Guido Errante • 1976: Barbara Lanati • 1983: Nadia Campana • 1986: Silvio Raffo • 1995: Massimo Bacigalupo • 1997: Tutte le poesie [Meridiano]

Titles of Dickinson collections in Italian Silenzi Geometri dell’estasi La bambina cattiva Una pantera nel guanto Buongiorno notte Colloqui con le ombre Quel che sappiamo dell'amore Faccio a faccia con Dio Portatemi il tramonto in una tazza Sillabe di seta Poesie religiose Poesie d'amore Questa è la mia lettera al mondo Fogli di poesia Dalla prigione dell'estasi Io lascerò il mio cuore appena in vista Morii per la bellezza Il cuore in libertà: poesie per giovani innamorati Charter in delirio!: un esperimento con i versi di Emily Dickinson

Antoine Berman, 12 deforming tendencies Tendency Result Rationalization Re-arrangement of sentences, punctuation Clarification Elimination of ambiguity, explicitation Expansion Inflating the length of the text Ennoblement Poeticising, raising the register of the text Qualitative impoverishment Translated words losing the sonorous richness of the original Quantitative impoverishment Lexical loss; fewer signifiers than the original

Berman, 12 deforming tendencies Tendency Result The destruction of rhythm Applies to all literary genres The destruction of underlying networks of Such as thematic words signification The destruction of linguistic patternings The style of the original The destruction of vernacular networks Dialects, slang, etc. Translation can only occur between ‘cultivated languages’. The destruction of expressions and idioms Ethnocentric/domesticating expressions The effacement of the superimposition of languages Joyce, Gadda, etc.

Translations examined today • 520 [Margherita Guidacci (1921 -1992) / Amelia Rosselli (1930 -1996)] • 712 [Giovanni Giudici (1924 -2011) / Margherita Guidacci] • 1591 [Eugenio Montale (1896 -1981)] • 255 [Silvio Raffo (b. 1947)] • 216 [Marisa Bulgheroni (b. 1923)]

Emily Dickinson: 520 I started Early – Took my Dog – And visited the Sea – The Mermaids in the Basement Came out to look at me – And made as He would eat me up – As wholly as a Dew Upon a Dandelion’s sleeve – And then – I started – too And Frigates – in the Upper Floor Extended Hempen Hands – Presuming Me to be a Mouse Aground – upon the Sands – And He – He followed – close behind I felt his Silver Heel Upon my Ancle – Then my Shoes Would overflow with Pearl – But no Man moved Me – till the Tide Went past my simple Shoe – And past my Apron – and my Belt And past my Boddice - too Until We met the Solid Town – No One He seemed to know – And bowing – with a Mighty look – At me – The Sea withdrew -

520, trans. Margherita Guidacci I started Early – Took my Dog – And visited the Sea – The Mermaids in the Basement Came out to look at me – Uscii di casa presto, col mio cane, feci visita al mare; e le sirene, dalle sue cantine uscirono a vedermi, And Frigates – in the Upper Floor Extended Hempen Hands – Presuming Me to be a Mouse Aground – upon the Sands – ed i vascelli del piano di sopra tesero mani di canapa, credendo fossi un topo rimasto giù, arenato. But no Man moved Me – till the Tide Went past my simple Shoe – And past my Apron – and my Belt And past my Boddice - too Ma non mi mossi finché la marea non venne oltre i miei umili sandali, ed oltre il mio grembile e la cintura, ed oltre il mio corpetto,

520, trans. Margherita Guidacci And made as He would eat me up – As wholly as a Dew Upon a Dandelion’s sleeve – And then – I started – too e parve che volesse divorarmi tutta, come una goccia di rugiada sopra la veste di un ranuncolo – allora anch’io mi mossi. And He – He followed – close behind I felt his Silver Heel Upon my Ancle – Then my Shoes Would overflow with Pearl – E il mare fu incalzante alle mie spalle; sentivo il suo tallone argenteo sopra la mia caviglia – ed i miei sandali allora traboccarono di perle. Until We met the Solid Town – No One He seemed to know – And bowing – with a Mighty look – At me – The Sea withdrew - Finché incontrammo il solido paese, dov’egli non aveva conoscenti; inchinatosi allora, col suo sguardo possente, il mare tornò indietro.

520, trans. Amelia Rosselli I started Early – Took my Dog – And visited the Sea – The Mermaids in the Basement Came out to look at me – And Frigates – in the Upper Floor Extended Hempen Hands – Presuming Me to be a Mouse Aground – upon the Sands – But no Man moved Me – till the Tide Went past my simple Shoe – And past my Apron – and my Belt And past my Boddice - too Sono uscita Presto – Presi il mio Cane – E visitai il Mare – Le Sirene al Seminterrato Uscirono per guardarmi – E Fregate – al Piano Superiore Estesero Mani Canapine – Supponendomi un Topo – Incagliato – sulle Sabbie – Ma nessun Uomo mi commosse – finché la Marea Non passò accanto alla mia semplice Scarpa – E il mio Grembiule – e la mia Cintura E presso il mio Bustino – anche –

520, trans. Amelia Rosselli And made as He would eat me up – As wholly as a Dew Upon a Dandelion’s sleeve – And then – I started – too E fece come Egli volesse divorarmi – completamente, come una Rugiada Sullo Stelo d’un Soffione – E allora – m’incamminai – anch’io – And He – He followed – close behind I felt his Silver Heel Upon my Ancle – Then my Shoes Would overflow with Pearl – Ed Egli – Egli mi seguì – non lontano Sentii il Suo Tacco d’Argento Sulla mia Caviglia – Poi le mie Scarpe Traboccavano di Perle – Until We met the Solid Town – No One He seemed to know – And bowing – with a Mighty look – At me – The Sea withdrew - Finché C’incontrammo col Solido Paese – Nessun che Egli sembrasse conoscere E inchinandosi – con uno Sguardo Potente – Il Mare si ritirò -

Emily Dickinson: 712 Because I could not stop for Death – He kindly stopped for me – The Carriage held but just Ourselves – And Immortality. Or rather – He passed Us – The dews drew quivering and chill For only Gossamer, my Gown – My tippet – only Tulle – We slowly drove – He knew no haste And I had put away My labor and my leisure too, For His Civility – We paused before a House that seemed A Swelling of the Ground – The Roof was scarcely visible – The Cornice – but a mound – We passed the School, where Children played At Recess – in the Ring – We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain – We passed the Setting Sun - Since then – ‘tis Centuries – but each Feels shorter than the Day I first surmised the Horses Heads Were toward Eternity -

712, trans. Giovanni Giudici Because I could not stop for Death – He kindly stopped for me – The Carriage held but just Ourselves – And Immortality. Poiché non potevo fermarmi per la Morte – Fu lei gentile a fermarsi per me – La corazza portava noi soltanto – E L’Immortalità. We slowly drove – He knew no haste And I had put away My labor and my leisure too, For His Civility – Ma lentamente – lei non aveva fretta, Io avevo messo via Tutto il mio lavorare e il mio riposo – Per la sua Cortesia – We passed the School, where Children played At Recess – in the Ring – We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain – We passed the Setting Sun - Passammo oltre la scuola – dove i fanciulli nell’intervallo vociavano – in cortile – Passammo oltre i campi di grano abbagliante – Passammo oltre Il sole calante -

712, trans. Giovanni Giudici Or rather – He passed Us – The dews drew quivering and chill For only Gossamer, my Gown – My tippet – only Tulle – O piuttosto – lui ci sorpassò – Piovvero le rugiade con un brivio – Era una ragnatela la mia gonna – Di tulle – la mia mantellina – We paused before a House that seemed A Swelling of the Ground – The Roof was scarcely visible – The Cornice – but a mound – Sostammo a una casa che sembrava – Come un gonfiore del prato – Il tetto era appena visible – E la sua gronda – nel prato – Since then – ‘tis Centuries – but each Feels shorter than the Day I first surmised the Horses Heads Were toward Eternity - Da allora – sono secoli – eppure Li sento più brevi di quel giorno In cui compresi d’un tratto che i cavalli Correvano verso l’Eterno -

712, trans. Margherita Guidacci Because I could not stop for Death – He kindly stopped for me – The Carriage held but just Ourselves – And Immortality. Non potevo fermarmi per la Morte. Essa, benigna, si fermò per me. Il cocchio conteneva noi due sole e l’Immortalità. We slowly drove – He knew no haste And I had put away My labor and my leisure too, For His Civility – Era lento (la Morte non ha fretta) e dovetti riporre il mio lavoro ed anche i miei trastulli per quella visita. We passed the School, where Children played At Recess – in the Ring – We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain – We passed the Setting Sun - Passammo oltre la scuola, dove bimbi facevano la ricreazione, in cerchio, ed oltre i campi d’attonito grano, e oltre il sole al tramonto,

712, trans. Margherita Guidacci Or rather – He passed Us – The dews drew quivering and chill For only Gossamer, my Gown – My tippet – only Tulle – o piuttosto fu il sole che passò oltre di noi, venne la guazza, tremolante e fredda, ché la mia gonna era garza sottile e la mia mentellina solo tulle. We paused before a House that seemed A Swelling of the Ground – The Roof was scarcely visible – The Cornice – but a mound – Sostammo ad una casa che sembrava un rigonfio del suolo: il suo tetto si distingueva appena, per cornicione aveva poche zolle. Since then – ‘tis Centuries – but each Feels shorter than the Day I first surmised the Horses Heads Were toward Eternity - Sono passati secoli, ma ognuno è più breve del giorno in cui capii che volte eran le teste dei cavalli verso l’eternità.

Emily Dickinson, 1591 There came a Wind like a Bugle – It quivered through the Grass And a Green Chill upon the Heat so ominous did pass We barred the Windows and the Doors As from an Emerald Ghost – The Doom’s electric Moccasin That very instant passed – On a strange Mob of panting Trees And Fences fled away And Rivers where the Houses ran Those looked that lived – that Day – The Bell within the steeple wild The flying tidings told – How much can come And much can go, And yet abide the World!

1591, trans. Eugenio Montale There came a Wind like a Bugle – It quivered through the Grass And a Green Chill upon the Heat so ominous did pass We barred the Windows and the Doors As from an Emerald Ghost – The Doom’s electric Moccasin That very instant passed – On a strange Mob of panting Trees And Fences fled away And Rivers where the Houses ran Those looked that lived – that Day – The Bell within the steeple wild The flying tidings told – How much can come And much can go, And yet abide the World! Con un suono di corno Il vento arrivò, scosse l’erba; un verde brivido diaccio così sinistro passò nel caldo che sbarrammo le porte e le finestre quasi entrasse uno spettro di smeraldo: e fu certo l’elettrico segnale del Giudizio. Una bizzarra turba di ansimanti alberi, siepi alla deriva e case in fuga nei fiumi è ciò che videro i vivi. Tocchi del campanile desolato mulinavano le ultime nuove. Quanto può giungere, quanto può andersene, in un mondo che non si muove!

255, trans. Silvio Raffo To die – takes just a little while – They say it does’nt hurt – It’s only fainter – by degrees – And then – it’s out of sight – Morire non esige che un istante – dicono inoltre che non faccia male: ci si sente più deboli, per gradi, e poi – più nulla. A darker Ribbon – for a Day – Crape upon the Hat – And then the pretty sunshine comes – And helps us to forget – Un nastro più scuro, per un giorno, un crespo sul cappello – ed ecco poi ritorna il sole a splendere e ci aiuta a scordare – The absent – mystic – creature That but for love of us – Had gone to sleep. that soundest time – Without the weariness - la mistica creatura disparita – che se non fosse stato per amore di noi, sarebbe andata a dormire di quel sonno profondo – senza angoscia -

216, trans. Marisa Bulgheroni Safe in their Alabaster Chambers – Untouched by Morning And untouched by Noon – Sleep the meek members of the Resurrection – Rafter of satin, And Roof of stone. Sicuri nelle stanze di alabastro, dove l’alba e il meriggio non li sfiorano, dormono i miti membri della Risurrezione sotto travi di raso, con un tetto di pietra. Light laughs the breeze In her Castle above them – Babbles the Bee in a stolid Ear, Pipe the Sweet Birds in ignorant cadence – Ah, what sagacity perished here! Lieve ride la brezza, di sopra, nel suo castello, parlotta l’ape a stolide orecchie, gli uccellini cinguettano cadenze ignoranti: Ahi che sagacia e’ spenta qui!