Okay! Below is just one poem, I promise. But I got the notion to translate my poem (written in English) into French and see how well I did. I put it back through Google Translate and just to save you from skimming, I DID NOT translate the last line properly, and the actual meaning is hilarious (to me, that is; I am easily amused). My eight-year-old wanted to know why I translated it into French, and I told her that I like to give my brain a puzzle once in a while. Everything happening in the U.S. right now is weighing very heavily, so it's good for me to find distractions.
.
In the south of France
.
All night there isn’t a train goes by
but the sense of being on a train hasn’t changed:
a painting being painted outside each window.
I write in my journal “This is Van Gogh country.”
You can see where he might have been inspired
by the picture outside my window
of a sere field, fallow, yellow
a dark barn in the distance.
I try to write it all down, to soak it all up
but it would take a lifetime to eat this much beauty
and I have only a month.
.
Dans le sud de la France
.
Toute la nuit il n’y a de train qui suit
mais le sens d’être sur un train ne change jamais:
une peinture dans le procès d’être peindre dehors chaque fenêtre.
J’écris dans mon livre: “C’est le pays de Van Gogh.”
On peut voir comment peut-être il était inspiré
par la vue dehors ma fenêtre
d’un pays sec, inutilisé, jaune
un sombre étable dans la distance.
J’essaie de l’écrire, tout, tout, pour l’adorer en entier
mais c’est le travail d’une vie entière de manger toute la beauté
et je n’ai que une mois.
.
From French to English using Google Translate
.
All night long there is no train following
But the meaning of being on a train never changes:
A painting in the process of being painted outside every window.
I write in my book: “This is Van Gogh’s country.”
You can see how maybe he was inspired
By the view outside my window
Of a dry, unused, yellow country
A dark stable in the distance.
I try to write it down, all of it, all of it, to adore it all
But it’s a lifetime’s work to eat up all the beauty
What a great idea! I'm also impressed that you speak French well enough to attempt a translation! I'm thinking it might be fun to use google translate to do this same thing, maybe between several languages, or just back and forth several times and see what meanings get shifted. And "I am only one month old" is such a funny line to end on
Oooh, I love the idea of using Google Translate for other languages! I’m trying to learn Portuguese on Duolingo alongside French (French was my minor in college, so I have some good chunks of it retained) and I’ve notice that the same “story” told in French has a very different tone in Portuguese.
You know, when I was writing that I thought why not make the voice, the voice in my head, sound like the way I'd speak to my own children. Which made me think I should really try to speak to myself that way all the time, not just in poems. It's so easy to be short with ourselves, impatient. I have so much more patience for the people I love.
Okay! Below is just one poem, I promise. But I got the notion to translate my poem (written in English) into French and see how well I did. I put it back through Google Translate and just to save you from skimming, I DID NOT translate the last line properly, and the actual meaning is hilarious (to me, that is; I am easily amused). My eight-year-old wanted to know why I translated it into French, and I told her that I like to give my brain a puzzle once in a while. Everything happening in the U.S. right now is weighing very heavily, so it's good for me to find distractions.
.
In the south of France
.
All night there isn’t a train goes by
but the sense of being on a train hasn’t changed:
a painting being painted outside each window.
I write in my journal “This is Van Gogh country.”
You can see where he might have been inspired
by the picture outside my window
of a sere field, fallow, yellow
a dark barn in the distance.
I try to write it all down, to soak it all up
but it would take a lifetime to eat this much beauty
and I have only a month.
.
Dans le sud de la France
.
Toute la nuit il n’y a de train qui suit
mais le sens d’être sur un train ne change jamais:
une peinture dans le procès d’être peindre dehors chaque fenêtre.
J’écris dans mon livre: “C’est le pays de Van Gogh.”
On peut voir comment peut-être il était inspiré
par la vue dehors ma fenêtre
d’un pays sec, inutilisé, jaune
un sombre étable dans la distance.
J’essaie de l’écrire, tout, tout, pour l’adorer en entier
mais c’est le travail d’une vie entière de manger toute la beauté
et je n’ai que une mois.
.
From French to English using Google Translate
.
All night long there is no train following
But the meaning of being on a train never changes:
A painting in the process of being painted outside every window.
I write in my book: “This is Van Gogh’s country.”
You can see how maybe he was inspired
By the view outside my window
Of a dry, unused, yellow country
A dark stable in the distance.
I try to write it down, all of it, all of it, to adore it all
But it’s a lifetime’s work to eat up all the beauty
And I’m only one month old.
What a great idea! I'm also impressed that you speak French well enough to attempt a translation! I'm thinking it might be fun to use google translate to do this same thing, maybe between several languages, or just back and forth several times and see what meanings get shifted. And "I am only one month old" is such a funny line to end on
Oooh, I love the idea of using Google Translate for other languages! I’m trying to learn Portuguese on Duolingo alongside French (French was my minor in college, so I have some good chunks of it retained) and I’ve notice that the same “story” told in French has a very different tone in Portuguese.
Hello Tara, Thank you for this lovely project.
I am trying once more to get into this form of writing.
Here is my attempt.
Asking why
All night there isn't
A moment without
thoughts of you
All day I travel with
your heart in my case
A train goes by but it
refuses to take me to you
When I ask why
It says
Wrong destination
Elaine, this is lovely. I especially like "All day I travel with/your heart in my case." I'm so glad you shared this!
Tara, your poem is gorgeous. I especially love:
"Darling, open your eyes
I do as it says
and see the glow
knowing now
there was light all along"
You know, when I was writing that I thought why not make the voice, the voice in my head, sound like the way I'd speak to my own children. Which made me think I should really try to speak to myself that way all the time, not just in poems. It's so easy to be short with ourselves, impatient. I have so much more patience for the people I love.
So true. I can say some pretty cruel things to myself—things I would never in a million years say to my children (or anyone else).
Love this poem and your description of how you go about writing from the prompts. It can be so simple and we make it so complicated, or I do.
Beautiful poem, Tara! I love the hope in it.
I'm so behind on my Substack reading I hadn't yet read about this new project of yours. I'll need to take some time to catch up. :)