Poems in different languages

[Former Member]

2 hours ago, AC Benus said:

For a fun challenge, how about I post this particular poem (written in French by a famous German person...) and we all make our own translations of it? 

 

We'll set a week's time to work on it. Any interest in the project...?  

You will post it in French?

Is it from the Friderich II.?

I can try, but my French is not as good as I would like it.

Nevertheless I am in.

[Parker Owens]

8 hours ago, AC Benus said:

For a fun challenge, how about I post this particular poem (written in French by a famous German person...) and we all make our own translations of it? 

 

We'll set a week's time to work on it. Any interest in the project...?  

 

Why am I saying oui? I am terrible at translation...

[Former Member]

I don't know a word in French...but I wanna see what's gonna turn out of this. Lol

[Valkyrie]

9 hours ago, AC Benus said:

For a fun challenge, how about I post this particular poem (written in French by a famous German person...) and we all make our own translations of it? 

 

We'll set a week's time to work on it. Any interest in the project...?  

Sounds like fun.  I'll need to dust off my high school French.

[AC Benus]

6 hours ago, Lyssa said:

You will post it in French?

Is it from the Friderich II.?

I can try, but my French is not as good as I would like it.

Nevertheless I am in.

Here's how i envision it:

 

- I'll post the original in French with no translation 

- A couple of translations can be found online to give us the general idea for some of the more 'tricky spots' to understand

- Our translations should be about coming to the heart of the poem as we see it, as we feel it - we want to be individuals with it

- Google Translate can help with most of the vocabulary, but if any of us get stuck, we can use this forum to discuss possible interpretations 

 

Give me time to dig up the poem. I'll post it here in about 24 hours, and we'll all post our versions on Monday, June 26th  

 

Sound good? This should be fun 

[AC Benus]

1 minute ago, AC Benus said:

Here's how i envision it:

 

- I'll post the original in French with no translation 

- A couple of translations can be found online to give us the general idea for some of the more 'tricky spots' to understand

- Our translations should be about coming to the heart of the poem as we see it, as we feel it - we want to be individuals with it

- Google Translate can help with most of the vocabulary, but if any of us get stuck, we can use this forum to discuss possible interpretations 

 

Give me time to dig up the poem. I'll post it here in about 24 hours, and we'll all post our versions on Monday, June 26th  

 

Sound good? This should be fun 

@aditus ? Interested...? Say  

[Aditus]

avec plaisir 

 I try, but I'm on vacation and I don't know if I have reception.

[Former Member]

It is such a cool idea!!

[AC Benus]

«La Jouissance»

[de Frédéric II, roi de Prusse, 1740]

De Königsberg à Monsieur Algarotti, cygne de Padoue 

 

Cette nuit, contentant ses vigoureux désirs
Algarotti nageait dans la mer des plaisirs.
Un corps plus accompli qu’en tailla Praxitèle,
Redoublait de ses sens la passion nouvelle.
Tout ce qui parle aux yeux et qui touche le cœur,
Se trouvait dans l’objet qui l’enflammait d’ardeur.
Transporté par l’amour, tremblant d’impatience,
Dans les bras de Cloris à l’instant il s’élance.
L’amour qui les unit, échauffait leurs baisers
Et resserrait plus fort leurs bras entrelacés.
Divine volupté! Souveraine du monde!
Mère de leurs plaisirs, source à jamais féconde,
Exprimez dans mes vers, par vos propres accents
Leur feu, leur action, l’extase de leurs sens!
Nos amants fortunés, dans leurs transports extrêmes,
Dans les fureurs d’amour ne connaissaient qu’eux-mêmes:
Baiser, jouir, sentir, soupirer et mourir,
Ressusciter, baiser, revoler au plaisir.
Et dans les champs de Gnide essoufflés sans haleine,
Etait de ces amants le fortuné destin.
Mais le bonheur finit; tout cesse le matin.
Heureux, de qui l’esprit ne fut jamais la proie
Du faste des grandeurs et qui connut la joie!
Un instant de plaisir pour celui qui jouit,
Vaut un siècle d’honneur dont l’éclat éblouit. 

 

 

[Former Member]

Just now, AC Benus said:

«La Jouissance»

[de Frédéric II, roi de Prusse, 1740]

De Königsberg à Monsieur Algarotti, cygne de Padoue 

 

Cette nuit, contentant ses vigoureux désirs
Algarotti nageait dans la mer des plaisirs.
Un corps plus accompli qu’en tailla Praxitèle,
Redoublait de ses sens la passion nouvelle.
Tout ce qui parle aux yeux et qui touche le cœur,
Se trouvait dans l’objet qui l’enflammait d’ardeur.
Transporté par l’amour, tremblant d’impatience,
Dans les bras de Cloris à l’instant il s’élance.
L’amour qui les unit, échauffait leurs baisers
Et resserrait plus fort leurs bras entrelacés.
Divine volupté! Souveraine du monde!
Mère de leurs plaisirs, source à jamais féconde,
Exprimez dans mes vers, par vos propres accents
Leur feu, leur action, l’extase de leurs sens!
Nos amants fortunés, dans leurs transports extrêmes,
Dans les fureurs d’amour ne connaissaient qu’eux-mêmes:
Baiser, jouir, sentir, soupirer et mourir,
Ressusciter, baiser, revoler au plaisir.
Et dans les champs de Gnide essoufflés sans haleine,
Etait de ces amants le fortuné destin.
Mais le bonheur finit; tout cesse le matin.
Heureux, de qui l’esprit ne fut jamais la proie
Du faste des grandeurs et qui connut la joie!
Un instant de plaisir pour celui qui jouit,
Vaut un siècle d’honneur dont l’éclat éblouit. 

 

 

I knew, it would be him. I knew it! LOL

[AC Benus]

http://www.zeit.de/2011/38/La-Jouissance

 

As you can see, Lyssa was right! 

 

If anyone wants to go wild with their efforts, you can do rhymed couplets with your translation and keep the same metre, but I think that's going to be near impossible. Do what you think is right to convey the poem.

 

Interestingly, it seems this particular poem was suppressed from publication until recently because it's regarded as too homoerotic and sensual.

 

I say, yes, it is - wink wink 

[AC Benus]

The link in the message above 

3 minutes ago, AC Benus said:

http://www.zeit.de/2011/38/La-Jouissance

 

As you can see, Lyssa was right! 

 

If anyone wants to go wild with their efforts, you can do rhymed couplets with your translation and keep the same metre, but I think that's going to be near impossible. Do what you think is right to convey the poem.

 

Interestingly, it seems this particular poem was suppressed from publication until recently because it's regarded as too homoerotic and sensual.

 

I say, yes, it is - wink wink 

The link in the message above contains the original and a German translation. The one below has an English one 

 

http://www.historytoday.com/blog/2011/09/frederick-greats-erotic-poem

[Former Member]

If someone is interested in reading further, I recommend the letters of King Fredericus II. to his valet Michael Gabriel Fredersdorf. They had a very close relationship, very interesting to read.

[Valkyrie]

1 hour ago, AC Benus said:

«La Jouissance»

[de Frédéric II, roi de Prusse, 1740]

De Königsberg à Monsieur Algarotti, cygne de Padoue 

 

Cette nuit, contentant ses vigoureux désirs
Algarotti nageait dans la mer des plaisirs.
Un corps plus accompli qu’en tailla Praxitèle,
Redoublait de ses sens la passion nouvelle.
Tout ce qui parle aux yeux et qui touche le cœur,
Se trouvait dans l’objet qui l’enflammait d’ardeur.
Transporté par l’amour, tremblant d’impatience,
Dans les bras de Cloris à l’instant il s’élance.
L’amour qui les unit, échauffait leurs baisers
Et resserrait plus fort leurs bras entrelacés.
Divine volupté! Souveraine du monde!
Mère de leurs plaisirs, source à jamais féconde,
Exprimez dans mes vers, par vos propres accents
Leur feu, leur action, l’extase de leurs sens!
Nos amants fortunés, dans leurs transports extrêmes,
Dans les fureurs d’amour ne connaissaient qu’eux-mêmes:
Baiser, jouir, sentir, soupirer et mourir,
Ressusciter, baiser, revoler au plaisir.
Et dans les champs de Gnide essoufflés sans haleine,
Etait de ces amants le fortuné destin.
Mais le bonheur finit; tout cesse le matin.
Heureux, de qui l’esprit ne fut jamais la proie
Du faste des grandeurs et qui connut la joie!
Un instant de plaisir pour celui qui jouit,
Vaut un siècle d’honneur dont l’éclat éblouit. 

 

 

It's interesting to see how, after such a long break away from the French language, that certain words and phrases are still recognizable to me.  I wish I knew where I put them, but in high school I wrote a couple of poems in French.  It would be interesting to read them now.  I'm looking forward to tackling this task.   

[AC Benus]

...anybody working on this...? 

[Former Member]

1 minute ago, AC Benus said:

...anybody working on this...? 

Yes, I am. But I have to make grades for my classes, school years end is near. So I am a bit slow, sorry.

[AC Benus]

I was just wondering if we push the date of posting out a week? 

 

I've worked on it some too, but still need some refining time. BTW, it's a hot poem, isn't it?

 

Are you using all three classical names referenced in the poem? I think I'm generalizing them for mine... 

[Former Member]

1 minute ago, AC Benus said:

I was just wondering if we push the date of posting out a week? 

This would be good for me, because I really have a lot on my desk.

1 minute ago, AC Benus said:

 

I've worked on it some too, but still need some refining time. BTW, it's a hot poem, isn't it?

Yes, it is. I thought about going to sanssouci to make a pic for you, from his most loved castle. I know some really nice places there, which tourist doesn`t know.

1 minute ago, AC Benus said:

 

Are you using all three classical names referenced in the poem? I think I'm generalizing them for mine... 

I like the classical names.

[Valkyrie]

36 minutes ago, AC Benus said:

I was just wondering if we push the date of posting out a week? 

 

I've worked on it some too, but still need some refining time. BTW, it's a hot poem, isn't it?

 

Are you using all three classical names referenced in the poem? I think I'm generalizing them for mine... 

Pushing it out a week sounds good to me.  I haven't had time to work on it yet.   

[Aditus]

Sorry, but I didn't do a thing besides admiring the poem. I'm still on vacation....so much to do, so much to enjoy, so much...

See you by the end of the week.

[AC Benus]

...is anyone ready to post...? I had my PC pass away yesterday, and my work on this poem was there. Hopefully a tech guy will able to salvage my files, but I don't know when I'll be ready to post... 

[Former Member]

37 minutes ago, AC Benus said:

...is anyone ready to post...? I had my PC pass away yesterday, and my work on this poem was there. Hopefully a tech guy will able to salvage my files, but I don't know when I'll be ready to post... 

I am 80% done. The events around here kind of overwhelmed myself a bit.

 

Edited July 3, 2017 by Lyssa

[AC Benus]

3 minutes ago, Lyssa said:

I am 80% done. The events around here kind of overwhelmed myself a bit.

 

Hugs, sister. You'll get to it I know  

[Former Member]

1 minute ago, AC Benus said:

Hugs, sister. You'll get to it I know  

Thanks my brother. I got a bit today.

[Parker Owens]

I am not done, not by a long shot. I am a whole lot rustier than I thought...