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This workshop is being archived.
Please visit our new workshop page.This workshop looks at a poem by the French poet Ariane Dreyfus.
We invite you to submit your own translation of the poem. As always we welcome a variety of approaches: close translations, 'freer' versions, after-images and metamorphoses of all kinds.
Original poem
RIEN N’EMPÊCHE D’AUTRES OISEAUX
Elle s’arrête quand l’eau lui arrive à la taille
Regarde, avance à nouveau, et la mer infinie
La suit, traîne qu’elle sent à peine, la robe elle l’imagine
S’effacent ses omoplates de petite fille
À chaque fois qu’elle lève les coudes et se hausse
Car il fait froid
Mais l’eau est calme, pas embêtante
Frileux les autres sont restés derrière
C’est donc un instant de princesse
Elle baisse les yeux, mais pas la tête
À cause de sa couronne qui pourrait tomber
Regarde comment ses pieds glissent
Sur le sable
Parce qu’il est très loin les jambes ont grandi
Elles se tordent à plein de reflets
Le soleil y va, en profondeur
Et plus en profondeur la pointe des pieds
Pour aller jusqu’au sol intouché
L’eau presqu’à la poitrine, elle étire ses bras
Ainsi flottent les mains
Puis s’allonger, sinon comment voir que le ciel
Donne un si grand vertige, et les nuages en forme de personne?
Versions
This workshop is being archived.
Please visit our new workshop page.You do not need to have translated poetry before to have a go at translating this poem, nor do you need to speak French fluently.
➔ Read a line-by-line literal translation by Olivia McCannon.
➔ Click play beneath to hear the original poem read by the poet:
Poem in translation
As Birds Fly Unhindered
When the water arrives at her waist she stops,
Considers, moves on, and the boundless sea
Accompanies her, a train she barely feels, a gown she imagines
Her little girl shoulder blades disappear
Each time she lifts her elbows and pulls back
For it is cold
But the water is calm, no trouble
The other sissies have stayed behind
So this is her princess moment
She lowers her eyes but not her head
In case her crown falls off
Observes the way her feet glide
Over the sand
Because it is far away her legs have grown longer
They writhe and shimmer beneath the waves
The sun goes deep
And deeper still the tips of her toes
To reach the untouched ground
The water almost at her chest, she stretches out her arms
To let her hands float
Then lies back, otherwise how can you see that the sky
Can make you so dizzy, and the clouds are like someone and no one?
30 versions
Help on translating this poem
You do not have to be a published poet or translator to send in your version, or to have ever translated a poem before. We welcome submissions from all. You can submit your version using the form below. Please note that submissions via this form for this project will not be considered for publication in MPT Magazine, and you should consult our submissions guidelines if you wish to submit something for publication.
Click here to read the translation notes by Susan Wicks.
Click here to read the translation notes by Olivia McCannon.
Press play beneath to listen to a podcast about the poem, featuring Olivia McCannon and Susan Wicks, recorded at the MPT Translation Duel at Ledbury Poetry Festival.
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Poetry Translation Workshops
The MPT Editors have had the opportunity to run poetry translation workshops in schools, and as part of poetry courses such as Arvon, and poetry festivals including Aldeburgh over the last few years. They have also participated in a workshop organised by the British Council in Russia. MPT Board members such as Amarjit Chandan have also been involved in running poetry translation...
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