"Poet to Poet" - Erminia Passannanti (AT AN ODD ANGLE)

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Erminia Passannanti and Peter Dale’s mutual translation project is a case of poetic exchange, intertwined with their personal and literary relationship. Their collaboration sheds light on how translation can function not just as linguistic transfer but as a dialogue between two poets, each somewhat influencing the other’s poetic vision. Erminia Passannanti, an Italian poet, met Peter Dale in the late 1990s. They worked closely on translating each other’s poetry: Dale translated Passannanti’s Macchina into English, and Passannanti, in turn, worked on rendering Dave’s poetry into Italian.

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 "Poet to Poet"

(To Peter Dale)

(Quels sont les tarifs pratiqués ?)

I have a concern. Someone has taken my liver. Someone else, my brain. I feel miserable... Aren’t you feeling miserable too? I need to revitalize my mind. The machine should do the rest for me... There is an option: being a better self.

Dave, hello, salve, salute, ciao, adieu. Shake (rub) my hand, Dave. All we have to do is take a journey.

Bonjour à tous,
Je viens de finir ma "lettera italiana." Il s'agit surtout, je suppose, de traductions de poèmes.

I will not turn the engine off. Quels conseils me donneriez-vous pour me présenter à un amant?

I beg you... do not stop. Pour commencer, je voudrais passer par des bureaux de l'amour et de la traduction, et j'aurais voulu savoir quel tarif je devrais leur demander.

Parts of my body have gone; I appreciate... you will appreciate if I don’t answer your questions. There is a self here: it is being observed. You know too much about me through language. Désolée, je crois que je vais encore vous embêter avec des questions.

A fabrication—is this what speech is? I am a violin, a microphone. Don’t tempt me. I recognize your gentleness. You live. You speak Russian. You monster. What game!

Are they, these gentle beasts, the circumstances that produce in me this mess? They will follow the direction of those in control. I am confident you will protect me. It is your responsibility. I am waiting. I will do as you wish. At your disposal for any of your requests.

Now we are allies. Effectively, yes, we are. So, I have a natural suspect. Please, release your fears. Command me your plan. You despise lack of direction. I will have to respond.

Je ne crois pas avoir d'autres questions...
Merci d'avance pour vos réponses.

Erminia (Oxford, 2000)

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Biografia

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BIOGRAPHY Erminia Passannanti was educated in Foreign Languages and Literatures (Italian, English, and French) at the University of Salerno (Italy). In 1988, she obtained a First-Class Honours Degree (Cum Magna Laude:100/110 e Lode) from the Faculty of Letters and Philosophy. In 2004, she obtained her first Ph.D. in Italian literature at University College London with a doctoral thesis on the work of Italian poet, literary translator and essayist, Franco Fortini, involving   XXth Century Cultural History, History of Ideas, Poetry and Literary Criticism and Translation Theory.   In 2014 she was granted a second Ph.D. in Social Sciences and Media Communication (Brunel University, England) with a thesis on Italian cinema and religious censorship. In 2000. she won the Italian state competition ("Concorso a cattedra") to become a full school professor. Her research ranges from philosophy of literature, history of ideas, translation studies and film criticism. He ac...
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