Help with a poetry translation, porfis.

Question

Spurred on by Kanani's recent poetry-based post and Agora's expert contribution, I thought I'd have a crack at translating a poem.

Not wanting to set myself to hard a challenge I reasoned that I'd start with the first stanza, then take it from there.

Any pointers on where to start?

First bit from JABBERWOCKY, by Lewis Carroll

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.

Cheers now...

You *are* kidding, right? - Gekkosan, Feb 23, 2011

Je je, it's a slow news day, for me :-) - afowen, Feb 23, 2011

First it must be translated to english,quite a few of Carrols words exist in an "older" or even old english. - pacofinkler, Feb 23, 2011

It's not "old" English. It's nonsense. A legitimate literary form, believe it or not. Afowen was trying to mess with our collective minds. Unfortunately for him, I caught him before he managed to cause too much damage. :-) - Gekkosan, Feb 23, 2011

Jejeje! gekkosan. - pacofinkler, Feb 23, 2011

I'll do my next one when you are sleeping and confundle the Europeans, with no one to stop me, ha ha ha haaaaaa. - afowen, Feb 23, 2011

Yes... I'm surprised you havenpt cause more destruction thus far! ;-) - Gekkosan, Feb 23, 2011

Answer 1

Aw, what the heck:

Jabberwocky

Calentoreaba, y las viscotivas tovas

vuelteaban y tregujereaban el terecho.

Misébiles estaban los borogovas

y los deros trugones bramastoilbaban.

¡Cuídate del Jabberwock, hijo mío!

¡De sus fauces que muerden, de sus zarpas que agarran!

¡Cuídate del ave jubjub y esquiva

al frumioso Bandersnatch!"

Él empuñó la vorpalina espada,

y persiguió al manxioso enemigo largo tiempo..

Hasta que, cansado, bajo el árbol Tum-Tum

se detuvo un rato a meditar

¡Y, cuando estaba en muforosos pensamientos,

el Jabberwock, con ojos llameantes,

vi.o volando a través del bosque túlgido,

y burbujereó al llegar!

Un, dos! ¡Un, dos! Hasta el tuétano

la vorpalina espada lo hizo pedazos.

Lo dejó muerto, y con su cabeza

galofrante regresó.

“Has matado al Jabberwock?

¡Ven a mis brazos, hijo radioso!

Oh, día frobioso! ¡Cualuuúh! i Cualuiiíh!”,

bufloqueó el viejo en su alegría.

Calentoreaba, y las viscotivas tovas

vuelteaban y tregujereaban el terecho.

Misébiles estaban los borogovas

y los deros trugones bramastoilbaban.

-Eduardo Stilman y Best, Los libros de Alicia, Buenos Aires, 1998

Excellent, I guess next time I try to be a smart Alex I should check that said Alexness has not been tried before :-) - afowen, Feb 23, 2011

You get my vote. - afowen, Feb 23, 2011

I wish I had that level of skill. How can you do an "accurate" and "literary acceptable" version of a nonsense poem? Somehow, this version seems plausible. - Gekkosan, Feb 23, 2011

Me too, oh that my Spanish were good enough to write poetry, let alone nonsense poetry! - afowen, Feb 23, 2011

What happened to Baldrick btw? - afowen, Feb 23, 2011

Good God ! are you easy!! :-) - pacofinkler, Feb 23, 2011

Poor Baldrick was banished. He was constantly being told that his manners were uncouth, and that he was scaring off SD members with his smell. :-/ - Gekkosan, Feb 23, 2011

Ah, nothing to do with giant turnips then! - afowen, Mar 4, 2011

Answer 2

Douglas Adams wrote a contemporary bit of nonsense poetry, passing it as "Vogon Poetry", in The Hitchikers' Guide to the Galaxy":

Oh freddled gruntbuggly

thy micturations are to me

As plurdled gabbleblotchits on a lurgid bee

Groop I implore thee, my foonting turlingdromes.

And hooptiously drangle me with crinkly bindlewurdles,

Or I will rend thee in the gobberwarts with my blurglecruncheon, see if I don't!

Love Adams, should read all his books again... - afowen, Feb 23, 2011

Answer 3

Wow, that is really difficult! I can´t even catch a word.

I found these versions in Wikipedia:

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.

Español

(Ulalume González de León)

El Jabberwocky

Era la parrillhora y los flexiosos tovos

en el cesplejos giroscopiaban, vibrhoradaban.

Frivoserables estaban los borogovos

y los verchinos telehogariados relinchiflaban.

Español

(Adolfo de Alba)

El Jabberwocky

Era la asarvesperia y los flexilimosos toves

giroscopiaban taledrando en el vade;

debilmiseros estaban los borogoves;

bramatchisilban los verdilechos parde.

Here are more versions published by prestigious book editors.

http://www.albaiges.com/poesia/jabberwockyiberico.htm#m2

Yeah, don't worry, it is a nonsense poem :-) - afowen, Feb 23, 2011

Answer 4

jab·ber·wocky noun \?ja-b?r-?wä-k?\

meaningless speech or writing = translate that into Spanish!