Glenn Colquhoun 
Translator

on Lyrikline: 4 poems translated

from: allemand, maori to: anglais

Original

Translation

Uwe Kolbe - Aus einem arroganten Land

allemand | Transit of Venus

Aus einem arroganten Land komme ich,
da weiß ich die Namen, habe sie selbst
im Überschwang reichlich verteilt,
ob eines es wollte, ob nicht, an Hahn
und an Henne, an Busch, Baum und Blüte,
sie tragen die Namen wie angeklebt.
Das Land ist hintern Horizont gesunken,
in Weltmeer, in Luftmeer, in Flut,
höher als das gewohnte Entkommen,
das Ausmaß an Sünde ist endlich so.
Nun zieht die Sonne namenlos droben
und spurlos die Frau ohne Mund vorbei.

© Uwe Kolbe
Audio production: Literaturwerkstatt Berlin, 2012

I come from an arrogant country

anglais

I come from an arrogant country.
I know of names, have myself,
in exuberance, freely given them out,
whether they were wanted or not: to the rooster
and the hen, to the bush, the bark, the blossom.
They bear their names as if glued on.

But now this land has sunk beneath the horizon,
in sky-sea, in sea-sky,
a tide higher than usual required.
Such, finally, is the magnitude of sins.
Here the sun moves namelessly
and the mouthless woman passes by without sound.

Translated by Glenn Colquhoun during the translation workshop
Venustransit, Verstransit (Berlin, October 2012)

Uwe Kolbe - Den Kleiderknüpferinnen vom Te Papa Museum, Juni 2012

allemand | Transit of Venus

Nicht eingeweiht zu sein ins Ritual,
dem Beispiel beizuwohnen, Blick, der sagt
ein Hin, ein Her, die Freundlichkeit der Fremden,
die voreinander Bilder überblenden.

Wir kennen das und fragen nicht zuviel
und machen draus das gute, leichte Spiel.
Kalanikupules, des Königs, Mantel,
einst Cook geschenkt, zum Artefakt gewandelt,

wir spürten noch die Macht als Licht von innen,
bevor wir zu den Knüpferinnen gingen,
die heute unvermindert leicht den Bast
auf ihren Schenkeln spleißen, und es fast

vergessen lassen, dass wir vor uns sehen,
wie wir schon selbst eingehen in Museen.

© Uwe Kolbe
Audio production: Literaturwerkstatt Berlin, 2012

To the clothing-weavers
(Te Papa Museum, Wellington, June 2012)

anglais

Not formally privy to secrets,
examples regardless still teach us:
'Look now, be friendly to strangers',
weaves place into face into faces.

We nod and don't ask any questions,
a game played politely, invented,
Kalanikupule's cloak meantime, a dream,
once gifted to Cook waits, a thing.

It's power holds still, the light dappled,
and within it the weavers entangle
who now rub their thighs with the bast,
who now rub their thighs with the past,

almost lost, what we see in each seam,
how we too are stitched into museums.

Translated by Glenn Colquhoun during the translation workshop
Venustransit, Verstransit (Berlin, October 2012)

Uwe Kolbe - Kafka in Auckland

allemand | Transit of Venus

Aus auf das fremde Licht, Silber des Morgens, blass
über der Innenstadt, ging ich die Straße zum Hafen,
fremd wie herein so heraus, das war sicher, stand Kafka
gegenüber, wartete auch auf Grün. Anthrazit seines Anzugs,
hellgraue Krawatte, lang und dünn in der Hose die Beine,
eindeutig orientalisch sanft war, dunkel  der Teint.
Als wir aneinander vorübergingen, nahm ich die Streifen
seines Anzuges wahr, elegant war die Kluft, schön
war der Mann, das weiß jeder, der nur ein Foto kennt.
Schon am ersten Tag diesseits des Erdkerns
hatte ich Sehnsucht nach dir, Mitte Europas.

© Uwe Kolbe
Audio production: Literaturwerkstatt Berlin, 2012

Kafka in Auckland

anglais

Drawn into foreign light, the morning
hung silver and pale over the city,
I walked the streets to the port.
Fremd wie herein so heraus, at least this was certain.
Across from me, waiting for a green light, stood Kafka.
His suit was anthracite, his tie light grey,
long and thin in his trousers hung his legs,
his complexion was soft and dark, clearly oriental.
As we passed I noticed the stripes on his suit,
the outfit was elegant, the man was beautiful,
everyone who has seen a photo of him knows that.
Already, this first day on the other side
of the world I longed for you my Europe.

Translated by Glenn Colquhoun during the translation workshop
Venustransit, Verstransit (Berlin, October 2012)

Glenn Colquhoun - In a Ngeri Celebrating the First European Ascent of that Mountain, Ernst Dieffenbach compares the Ritual Consumption of his Heart to a Sunset over Taranaki. [Maori Version]

maori | Project: Transit of Venus

E  piki
ki ko atu
i te harakeke.
Ki runga.
Ki runga.

E piki
ki ko atu
i te rimu.
Hei runga.
Hei runga.

E  piki
ki ko atu
i te rātā.
Tū mai rā
Taranaki.

Whakawhitia Mangorake.
Whakawhitia Waiwhakaiho.

Tarawainuku, kei raro iho.
Kei raro iho, e Arakari.

Ko wai iā
i ngā here
o Pouākai?

Ko wai iā,
te tau,
te ipo?

Ko wai iā
i te paepae
a Tama-nui?

E kake ki te tihi.
Te ihi.
Te wehi.

Werohia.
Okaina.
Ripia.
Topea.

Mōu te arero.
E kai e.
E kai e.

Mōu ngā mata.
E kai e.
E kai e.

Mōu te korokoro.
E kai e.
E kai e.

Mura ana te rātā.
Mura ana te rimu.
Mura ana a Mangorake.
Mura ana a Waiwhakaiho.

Kei runga: te ngākau.
E kai e.
E kai e.

Kei raro: te ngākau.
E kai e.
E kai e.

Kei mua: te ngākau.
E kai e.
E kai e.

Kei muri: te ngākau.
E kai e.
E kai e.
E kai e.
E kai e.

E kai e.
E kai e.
E kai e.
E kai e.

© Glenn Colquhoun
Audio production: Literaturwerkstatt Berlin, 2012

In a Ngeri Celebrating the First European Ascent of that Mountain, Ernst Dieffenbach Compares the Ritual Consumption of his Heart to a Sunset over Taranaki.

anglais

Above the flax.
Rise up.
Rise up.

Above the rimu.
Higher.
Higher.

Above the rātā.
Upwards.
Upwards.

To the mountain.
Taranaki.

Cross the river: Mangorake.
Cross the river: Waiwhakaiho.

Tarawainuku: buried deeply.
Arakari: buried deeply.

Who stands there?
Against Pouākai.

Who pines there?
Unloved.
Unloved.

Who waits there?
Beneath the sun.

Take the ridge.
Tempered. Sharpened.
Take the summit.
Glinting. Striking.
Take the fire.
Burning. Ripening.
At last! The fire.
Burning. Ripening.

Here, my tongue.
Take, eat.
Take, eat.

Here, my eyes.
Scoop them.
Scoop them.

Here, my throat.
Gulp it.
Gulp it.

Here, my lungs.
Consume.
Consume.

Red the river: Mangorake.
Red the river: Waiwhakaiho.

Red the rātā.
Flowering. Blooming.
Red the rimu.
Torn asunder.

North: the heart.
South: the heart.
East: the heart.
West: the heart.

Take, eat.
Take, eat.
Take, eat.
Take, eat.

North: the heart.
South: the heart.
East: the heart.
West: the heart.

Take, eat.
Take, eat.
Take, eat.
Take, eat.

Translated by Glenn Colquhoun