let us take a moment of thought
time for a little thinking thinking thought
time for a little in depth contemplation
to consider a poetry language question
Is poetry written in a foreign language rootless?
if we do not speak that foreign language
if we cannot read that foreign language
then a poem in that language is tabula rasa
a blank slate we understand perceive nothing
this is less than rootless it is a total soulless void
the poem may as well be written in cuneiform
hieroglyphs ancient Chinese Greek Hebrew Latin
but romance languages evolved from Vulgar Latin
French Italian Portuguese Romanian and Spanish
should have a few hook words we could understand
now if lucky we could read the poem in translation
a good translation from the original to our language
a good translation of accurate meaning is not poetry
it takes more than a poet to translate a foreign poem
the translators skill ability must be equal to the task
equal to the task depth complexity in both languages
But did the translator understand all subtle themes?
much is will can be lost in translation
some languages cannot translate a sentence
accurate from one language to another
denotative meaning an explicit literal
meaning is far easier but some words
have more than one meaning multiple
meanings are poet play rich fun words
even denotative words have an ability
to create confusion apply more meanings
to add possible confusion conceptions
words are communicating choice variety
but connotative words have depth layers
connotative words hint suggest imply
ideas feelings with cultural emotional
associations connotative words
can be trigger explosive words
connotative words can carry bias
perception positive negative reactions
is old neutral decrepit or vintage
is different peculiar or unique
is saving thrifty or stingy
is selective picky or meticulous
is happy manic or elated
is questioning nosy or interested
is tenacious stubborn or steadfast
is confident conceited or courageous
the wrong emphasis on a word
is a potential cultural minefield
political spin doctors set up the public
with emotive words like these to stir
to stir emotions support to manipulate
good writers poets use emotive words
good singers to create desired emotions
but we write with art care responsibility
remember even when writing neutral truth
truth is not received with neutral responses
apply this to the poem in foreign languages
a translation device will translate the words
we will receive an instant basic translation
but which denotative meaning was taken
was this always the right denotative meaning
the connotative words are more problematic
we enter connotative layers multiple meaning
we tread cultural emotions taboo implications
a foreign language poem is translated static
But was the poem translated with a bias?
the translation is all the reader can interpret
did the translator understand the tone themes
did the translator skew twist warp corkscrew
entwine bleach miss delete main subtle themes
let us take a moment of reflective thought
now we shall venture forth from the broth
to the meat of the question to pick down
to the bones this foreign language rootless
Is poetry written in a foreign language rootless?
It has roots but how rich is the cultural flavour?
Will only native tongue culture make a poem bloom?
Can only native speech flower the poem into fragrance?
this question immediately has two truths
if a poet who wrote the poem has two languages
if a poet who wrote the poem has several languages
if a poet who wrote the poem is fluent in a few languages
then this poet has the native tongue required to translate
if the poet has the native tongue culture in both languages
we have our best candidate to foreign language translate
the original poet understood wrote the poem complexities
if the language connotations are compatible we translate
but readers do not share all native tongue culture complexities
readers rejoice master genius poet will create a beautiful hybrid
lovers of flowers love favourite hybrid colour scent varieties
now realization dawns flowers like poems generate favourites
different species in flower different themes are audience adored
all poetry is coded in culture
it takes the spy with a master's tongue
to decipher word choice code
exceptional poems are never cut withering in time
a poem is not a flower cut
exceptional poems have a unique root
do not colour scent fade
a soulless poem is left withered decaying in time
blood culture are the nation soil a flower grows in
blood culture can unite people speaking one language
poetry is written in blood culture weather season light
soil season give depths of flavour in grapes fruits
even vegetables prefer differing temperatures soils
so much depends on rich loam soils rich cultures
poets write in cultural soils loams emotive experiences
we cannot write true to our own culture foreign cultures
outside our experience range we write what we know
languages define with rhythms cadence styles
best voiced in local flavours speech pattern phrases
sentences flow in rich native cultural expressions
we are deeper roots the one root of shared humanity
in a global world our branches are internationally tangled
now more so in the future hybrid cultures will be bred
this is where the future meets the past
ancient migrations created new cultures
new civilizations speech new languages
even between generations there is status flux
new words new meanings changed meanings
words created words extinct cultural rivers
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem