Tuesday, May 6, 2008

ANGLOFRITZ PODCAST 5: Battle for the Eternal Word

eternalword.jpg

The idea is simple: the strength of a language's poetry should transcend translation. In the first of our Battle of the Languages series, English and German contend for the most vital and beautiful thought-words. Ben forces English poesy into German, while Christy shoehorns German poetry into English. It's Alexander Pope versus Goethe, strength versus pliancy, fleeting transience versus etherial timelessness. Which verse will prevail?

anglofritz podcast (8.24 mb, 9.00 min)

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.anglofritz.com/cgi-bin/mt-tb.cgi/674

Comments

Ok, ok, there is no fuching "trains station" in Goethes Erlkoenig. That was a terrible translation, Kristy, and you should be ashamed, almost as ashamed at Ben, who sounds lak some Scottsman who maybe lerned his German in school, out in an out of the way school in the hills where the sheep are, not a university, not a real Universitaet, like the many noted German High Universities such as Heidelberg, Tuebingen, and my favorite, where I am, die Freie, which is in Berlin. You did not do the German language justice. Personally, I think the two of you must be taking drugs.

Tremendously imaginative, fun, and entertaining posting, Ben and Christy. Nevermind "Dientrinch," and his silly name. I will protect you from his inane criticism; in fact, I'll countermand it. Tomorrow when I visit Anglofritz again, I'll read your newest articles and give this podcast yet another listen, this time with my British Literature anthology in hand, so that I can follow along with Pabst's original. Your off-the-cuff interpretations were fine and refreshing -- poetic Sprudelwasser, if you will. Excellent effort, splendid work.

I want justice now!

Don't worry -- our next two Battle candidates are film and music.

Post a comment

(If you leave a comment here, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)