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Richard Blaisdell's avatar

Leaves have fallen. Phone calls recorded erased. Inside the message remains a heart beat away from the snow falling encased in slumber that will translate to spring.

Good translation, but I know little of words that mean something else to another’s ears. I know the pen writes. There is the clock. Make the hands move. Midnight is near.

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Chen Rafaeli's avatar

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Portia's avatar

Chen, I think it's a wonderful translation, with the same tenderness and wistful quality of Esenin's poem.

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Chen Rafaeli's avatar

🩵

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Weston Parker's avatar

Even if by your standards that was roughly translated, it still held plenty of power. Sometimes, you can't keep a good man down, same thing with a strong poem. thanks

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Chen Rafaeli's avatar

🤍

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Larisa Rimerman's avatar

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Jenny. It is very good. You know there are no excellent translations; I even tried to explain why it's impossible with Russian. But You are such a talented poet; you can do it, and now I hope we will do Blok with your best translation of his poem Девушка пела в церковном хоре.

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Chen Rafaeli's avatar

💕

oh you're too kind. I'm sure there should be excellent translations; if it can be done from English and other languages into Russian(oh my childhood. they don't translate like that anymore), the opposite must be true?

I also hope I'll be able to read it all soon-thank you so so much!

Still scared to go look for other translations that I'm sure exist. I get into the mode "it's done already, and better". Not much sense in it, as many translators work on their own takes.

Thank you for encouraging me, as always

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Chen Rafaeli's avatar

thank you so much for the restack, dear Portia, and Eugene-really means a lot

🪄

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Paul Wittenberger's avatar

As Richard says, Chen:

"There is the clock. Make the hands move. Midnight is near."

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Chen Rafaeli's avatar

there's a poem there. i wish i'd catch it. maybe i will

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