full from the waves — geheel van die golwe uit
My good friend Sarah from South Africa surprised me about a week ago with a translation of one of my poems, the mermaid sonnet full/ from the waves, into her native Afrikaans. It was one of the poems I submitted to the Howard Nemerov Sonnet Contest, with the understanding it wouldn't be published anywhere else until after the judging was over. It won't. That isn't to say a translation of it won't have the same restrictions. I have no idea what my Afrikaans reading population is. Sarah says her language is also close to Flemish; so I'd like to think there are thousands of new readers crying: "Oh Joy! A new sonnet all for our very own!" … though I am not holding my breath.
This does raise several questions for me. There are Flemish and Afrikaans poets in the world. Where do they publish their work? What is the market for a book of translations, the ink still wet? Are there any websites you could recommend? If you know any Flemish or Afrikaans readers who like 14-line poems, tell them about this. Cheers!
Hulle wat vir die meermin life het, he took life vir haar geel
Hare; het ook lief vir allen wat groen, stil en nat is
Het ook lief vir die visterman se stories vertel daar onder
Die Noordste Ligte. Hier, die liedtjies omtrent die soene
Van die vis-net, is waaroor die meermin sing. Ek moet vir
Jou vertel, hoe jy was van die donker golwe uit gebore
Waneer jy lag, die seë-fee roep: “sister”; waneer jy opswel,
Die vissies wat die eb en vloed bestuur, verklaar:
“Sy is bly!” Die sout water se turkoois tong lyk mooi
In jou hare! Onthou, êrens, eimand sing van jou:
“Sy het geheel van die golwe uitgespring.” Soos
Meermine en Venus, ek sal van jou sing, as of jy
‘n nuwe seë-godin was.
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