In this workshop we will explore poetic translation as a kind of migration, moving with the body of a text from one language into another. To move with the body of the text, we must not only read closely into language but also listen deeply to the voice of a different culture and time.

In this workshop, we will read multiple different translations of original texts by Wisława Szymborska, Sappho, Cesar Vallejo, Federico García Lorca (among others) and consider different approaches to translation. We will also engage in the process of creating our own translations. By the end of the course, you will have completed a few of your own translations of short poems.

Knowledge of another language is not required for participation in the workshop. Students who do not know or have only partial knowledge of another language can consult various dictionaries, existing translations, native speakers, or work from a “trot” (a literal translation) to create their own translations.