Cesar Vallejo: Trilce: Clayton Eshleman at SFU on February 28, 1992 part 1 of 2 #743

CLASSIFICATION

Swallow ID:
5350
Partner Institution:
Simon Fraser University
Source Collection Label:
Reading in BC Collection
Sub Series:
Reading in BC Collection

ITEM DESCRIPTION

Title:
Cesar Vallejo: Trilce: Clayton Eshleman at SFU on February 28, 1992 part 1 of 2 #743
Title Source:
cassette and J-card
Language:
English
Production Context:
Documentary recording
Genre:
Speeches: Talks
Identifiers:
[]

Rights

Rights:
Copyright Not Evaluated (CNE)

CREATORS

Name:
Vanel, Kurtis
Dates:
1936-2017
Role:
"Recordist"
Name:
Eshleman, Clayton
Dates:
1935-
URL:
http://viaf.org/viaf/79046419
Role:
"Speaker", "Reader"

CONTRIBUTORS

MATERIAL DESCRIPTION

Image:
Image
Recording Type:
Analogue
AV Type:
Audio
Material Designation:
Cassette
Physical Composition:
Magnetic Tape
Storage Capacity:
T00:57:00
Extent:
1/8 inch
Track Configuration:
2 track
Playback Mode:
Stereo
Sound Quality:
Excellent
Physical Condition:
Good
Other Physical Description:
Black and white clear jewel case with J-card

DIGITAL FILE DESCRIPTION

Channel Field:
Stereo
Sample Rate:
44.1 kHz
Duration:
T00:30:41
Size:
33.3 MB
Bitrate:
32 bit
Encoding:
WAV for master files and .MP3 for online files
Channel Field:
Stereo
Sample Rate:
44.1 kHz
Duration:
T00:30:30
Size:
31.0 MB
Bitrate:
32 bit
Encoding:
WAV for master files and .MP3 for online files

Dates

Date:
1992-02-28
Type:
Performance Date
Source:
J-card

LOCATION

Address:
8888 University Dr, Burnaby, BC, Canada
Venue:
SFU
Latitude:
49.2767
Longitude:
-122.9178
URL:
https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/102254132

CONTENT

Contents:
Side Track No. Comments Title: Cesar Vallejo : Trilce : a talk on the book and a bilingual reading in honor of the 100th Anniversary of Vallejo’s birth in Peru; and a short paper on the difficulties of translating Vallejo’s poetry One 019 Tape starts halfway through Eshleman’s introductory comments 036 Introduction to Eshleman’s Selected Poems 1960-1983 – “a bad translation is the insistent voice of the translator”. Eshleman’s first experience with the “translator’s ego” was with Ben Belitt’s translation of Garcia Lorca’s Poet in New York in 1959. Garcia’s last line in his poem, “La Aurora” was changed from “the shipwreck of blood” to “a bloody disaster”. Belitt’s use of English slang effaced Lorca’s 080 Blood. In Belitt’s Lorca and Neruda translations, we hear the translator/poet’s own mannerisms, leaking into the meaning of the original texts. A colonization of these poets’ terrain 090 This colonization has sombre repercussions, especially in the case of a “first world” translator and a “third world” writer. The translator implies that his mind is superior to the mind of the original text 102 Belitt’s translation seems more monolithic and damaging than that of other translators, says Eshleman. Robert Lowell dropped 10 of Rimbaud’s 25 stanzas in translation for Le Bateau Ivre, (a presumption that only two thirds of this great French poem is worth carrying over to English). Eshleman discusses further problems with translators 112 Eshleman discusses his own ego impositions in his 1968 translation of Vallejo’s poetry 116 The particular poem he discusses deals with Vallejo’s failure to connect with his wife. Eshleman recounts the difficulties in gaining permission from Vallejo’s wife to translate his poetry, and admits the poem (Es una Historia) took on the symbolic weight of his frustration with her, resulting in his inappropriate rendition of the last line 143 How might a translator work to resist ego imposition or translator imperialism? There is no such thing as a literal translation and denotative choices comes up in every line 155 Discusses translation of Martinique poet Aimē Cesaire, and work of denotative choices through text or dead author’s background 169 In the 1969 Berger Bostock translation, Notebook of Return to the Native Land, Eshleman discusses incorrect translation of word for cove, and consequent misreading of the poem 180 Eshleman explains his process for avoiding errors, through consultation with Spanish scholars, etc. and by respecting occasional misspellings, line and stanza breaks, and by rendering Vallejo’s obscurity and flatness as well as his brilliance 189 His process also allows Vallejo’s influence to enter his own poetry, to allow his imaginings of Vallejo to be incorporated into his own work rather than allowing them to spill into Vallejo’s text 214 Eshleman reveals his secondary motivations of wanting to translate certain poets to allow their work and knowledge of poetics to fuel that of Eshleman’s. He discusses Vallejo’s influence on his own work 236 Discussion ends (Part I) 239 Discussion of the book Trilce. Eshleman refers audience to a 30-page essay on Trilce that will be part of a book (to be published Fall 92) by Marsilio in New York City, introduction by Americo Ferrari (Bilingual, including 30 pages of notes on difficult words & phrases in the poems. Eshleman’s discussion on the meaning of Trilce is brief 246 First edition came out in 1918, and second edition from Madrid in 1930. Crucial differences in each edition and Eshleman describes problems with texts because of Vallejo’s failure to read the galleys 250 Discusses disagreement over translations between Julio Ortega and himself, and process for translating from the 1918 edition, eg. keeping many misspellings as intentional and the 1918 edition as the original text 266 Effects on Trilce of various events in Vallejo’s life eg. His mother’s death in 1958 and five poems concerning his childhood that act as pillars supporting the body of poems 276 Many love poems and sex poems involving a number of women. Poem #9 representative of very explicitly sexual expression for Peru of the 1920’s. *[Ofelia] Villaneueva’s story as Vallejo’s girlfriend and subsequent poems wound in with Mother theme 305 The third big item in the production of Trilce is Vallejo’s imprisonment in northern Peru. Vallejo severely revised earlier poems written for Trilce. Aspejo attributes to this prison experience, the inspiration of the breakdown and new form of the sonnet which was difficult to read and expressing a new creative force in Vallejo 327 Discusses the problem of the Trilce title 346 The poem, “Trilce”, written in Europe, belongs in no volume. The poem treats Trilce as a place in the world which one knows and is always approaching, an eerie sort of paradise 357 Credit is due to Englishman Henry Gifford who translated with Charles Tomlinson in the early ‘70’s and credits the title, Trilce with numerical meaning. Eshleman gives evidence from a later found poem to support Gifford’s idea that Trilce comes from the numbers trillion and thirteen 384 Side One Ends Two 009 Side Two Begins. Eshleman discusses various hints throughout Trilce that support this reading of the trite 036 Trilce is full of burned bridges, and models of what is elsewhere burned. The most striking writing in Trilce anticipates American projective verse, and the more recent language poetry, by a number of decades 057 The major psychological pressure in the poems is that of sex and death 069 To the banner year of 1922 and international modernism, Trilce can be added with a number of poems Eshleman lists 078 Eshleman says his translational intent has been to respect Vallejo’s text with no attempts to improve or outwit it : to research all rare and technical words, and translating them instead of explaining them; and to bring the English up to Vallejo’s performance level in Spanish 093 Introduction to Trilce poems, one through ten by Eshleman 101 Introduction is made by late arriving instructor about Eshleman’s work 118 Brief discussion over who will read poems in Spanish. Students who have been working on translations will read Spanish versions 131 Students will read a poem in Spanish and alternate with Eshleman’s reading of the translation 135 Reading in Spanish of poem 1 147 Eshleman English translation 159 Professor asks Professor Jorge Garcia to read the second poem 161 Jorge Garcia reads #2 170 Eshleman reads #2 189 Student reads #3 209 Eshleman explains relationship of 3 children in #3 to Vallejo. Santiago is the bell-ringer who is blind. Notes the difference between Trilce #3 and #4 as if someone else had written it 217 Eshleman translates #3 238 Jorge Garcia reads #4 250 Eshleman reads English version of #4 268 Student reads #5 280 Eshleman reads English version of #5 295 Student reads #6 309 Eshleman reads translation #6 327 Jorge Garcia reads #7 337 Eshleman notes on opium or “high” consciousness to #7 – notes Vallejo’s use of brothels & feel of danger within #7 that could be related to his adventures 347 Eshleman reads translation of #7 362 Student reads #8 369 Eshleman translates 380 Tape 1, ends mid-verse
Notes:
SFU BC Readings formatting

NOTES

Note:
the length of the digital file's side 1 is T00:30:37 and side 2 is T00:30:34, but the performance only takes 24 minute on side 1 and 28 minute on side 2 and the rest of audio is empty
Type:
General
Note:
Liner Notes: Clayton Eshleman Friday February 28 1992, SFU part I side 1: 24 minute side 2: 28 minute recorded by Kurtis Vanel DOLBY B 10:30 am-12:20 pm/ AQ5017 Spanish and Latin American studies. prof. Clayton Eshleman, English, Eastern Michigan U., discusses Cesar Vallejo: Trilce: a talk on the book and a bilingual reading in honor of the 100th Anniversary of Vallejo’s birth in Peru; and a short paper on the difficulties of translating Vallejo’s poetry #743

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