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| Velimir Khelbnikov (1885-1922) |
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| Huidobro (1893-1948) |
In class today, we discussed two interpretations of "Canto VII" from Altazor by Chilean poet Vicente Huidobro. Here is an excerpt of Eliot Weinberger's English translation of the same:
Huidobro, Vicente. Altazor (revised edition). Middletown, CT: Wesleyan UP, 2004. Page 148.
Huidobro, Vicente. Altazor (revised edition). Middletown, CT: Wesleyan UP, 2004. Page 148.
If you didn't understand anything, that's not unusual for the reader of Altazor. A popular critical reading of "Canto VII" is that language is undone by the end of the poem, and the reader is left only with nonsensical sounds. An alternate reading, by Octavio Paz, is that Huidobro achieves, in a mystic way, the perfection of poetry, that the poetry "says without saying" (Vuelta. 107. pp. 13). Paz makes an interesting point, however, I'm not sure that I will take him at his word. After all, his interpretation is, perhaps, less of a reading of Altazor and more of a reflection or projection of his mystical ideas about poetry onto the poem. Still, there is room for that reading. Whatever "Canto VII" says, or means, if it does mean, it is a product of its time, poetry of the first wave of the 20th vanguard movement. The reason I bring it up is that most of my readers are familiar with Latin American and Spanish literature, and have read all or part of Altazor (and I know that at least one of them hates the poem). But I bring up Altazor mostly to introduce something that is new to me.
One of the early 20th century vanguard movements that I am mostly ignorant of is the Russian Futurist movement. I learned a little bit about it today. One of the Russian Futurist poets is named Velimir Khlebnikov. Khlebnikov, along with another Russian poet, invented what they called Zaum. According to Charles Bernstein (see here), "Zaum is not a poetry of opacity, as with much later sound/idiological poetry. [Velemir] "Khlebnikov beleived that zaum would cross the barrier of national languages, as a sort of proto-Esperanto." Read more about Zaum here, then watch this video.
My professor says that when he heard the poem in Russian (he doesn't speak Russian) he knew that the poem wasn't "in Russian," but something different. For him it was akin to Huidobro's "Canto VII" from Altazor. Here is a translation of the poem to English so you can read it. If you're a reader of Latin American poetry, hopefully the next time you read/teach Huidobro, his work will make a bit more sense to you and your students.
One of the early 20th century vanguard movements that I am mostly ignorant of is the Russian Futurist movement. I learned a little bit about it today. One of the Russian Futurist poets is named Velimir Khlebnikov. Khlebnikov, along with another Russian poet, invented what they called Zaum. According to Charles Bernstein (see here), "Zaum is not a poetry of opacity, as with much later sound/idiological poetry. [Velemir] "Khlebnikov beleived that zaum would cross the barrier of national languages, as a sort of proto-Esperanto." Read more about Zaum here, then watch this video.
My professor says that when he heard the poem in Russian (he doesn't speak Russian) he knew that the poem wasn't "in Russian," but something different. For him it was akin to Huidobro's "Canto VII" from Altazor. Here is a translation of the poem to English so you can read it. If you're a reader of Latin American poetry, hopefully the next time you read/teach Huidobro, his work will make a bit more sense to you and your students.
Incantation by Laughter
We laugh with our laughter
loke laffer un loafer
sloaf lafker int leffer
lopp lapter und loofer
loopse lapper ung lasler
pleap loper ech lipler
bloop uffer unk oddurk
floop flaffer ep flubber
fult lickles eng tlickers
ac laushing ag lauffing uk
luffing ip luppling uc
lippling ga sprickling
urp laughter oop laughing
oop laughing urp laughter
Заклятие смехом
О, рассмейтесь, смехачи!
О, засмейтесь, смехачи!
Что смеются смехами, что смеянствуют смеяльно,
О, засмейтесь усмеяльно!
О, рассмешищ надсмеяльных — смех усмейных смехачей!
О, иссмейся рассмеяльно, смех надсмейных смеячей!
Смейево, смейево!
Усмей, осмей, смешики, смешики!
Смеюнчики, смеюнчики.
О, рассмейтесь, смехачи!
О, засмейтесь, смехачи!
On another note, I've wanted to learn Russian since I was a teenager and fell in love with Russian classical music. I've never made time for that goal. Hopefully, eventually, I can get there. I think it would be fun to look at transatlantic poetic influence between Russia and Mexico. However, from what I can tell, there is little to none.
On another note, I've wanted to learn Russian since I was a teenager and fell in love with Russian classical music. I've never made time for that goal. Hopefully, eventually, I can get there. I think it would be fun to look at transatlantic poetic influence between Russia and Mexico. However, from what I can tell, there is little to none.
2 comments:
Maybe this is me being juvenile, but I laughed more at the Russian dude reciting his poem than the American guy reciting his translation. Wasn't that the goal, though, of an "Incantation by laughter"?
Yes, I believe that was the point, to laugh. Bien hecho.
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