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  • Emily Dickinson's "Because I could not stop for Death"—Remarks of a Polish Translator
  • Stanislaw Baranczak (bio)

"Because I Could Not Stop For Death" Polish, Japanese, German, Thai

Because I could not stop for Death—He kindly stopped for me—The Carriage held but just Ourselves—And Immortality.

We slowly drove—He knew no hasteAnd I had put awayMy labor and my leisure too,For His Civility—

We passed the School, where Children stroveAt Recess—in the Ring—We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain—We passed the Setting Sun—Or rather—He passed Us—The Dews drew quivering and chill—For only Gossamer, my Gown—My Tippet—only Tulle—

We paused before a House that seemedA Swelling of the Ground—The Roof was scarcely visible—The Cornice—in the Ground—

Since then—'tis Centuries—and yetFeels shorter than the DayI first surmised the Horses HeadsWere toward Eternity—

(P712) [End Page 120]
Nie mogłam stanąć i czekać na Śmierć— Because I could not stop for Death—
Ona sama mnie podwiozła—uprzejma— He kindly stopped for me—
Bryczka mieściła nas dwie— The Carriage held but just Ourselves—
I jeszcze—Nieśmiertelność— And Immortality.
Konie szły stępa—nie poganiane— We slowly drove—He knew no haste
Widząc, że Śmierci nie śpieszno, And I had put away
Swoje rozrywki i prace My labor and my leisure too,
Odłożyłam—przez Grzeczność— For His Civility—
Minęłyśmy Boisko Szkolne We passed the School, where Children strove
Pełne Dzieci—Rejwachu— At Recess—in the Ring—
A potem Łany—w nas wpatrzone— We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain—
A potem Słońca Zachód— We passed the Setting Sun—
Lub raczej—Słońce nas Or rather—He passed Us—
Minęło—gęstniał płacz The Dews drew quivering and chill—
Zimnej Rosy—Sukienkę For only Gossamer, my Gown—
Mialam za cały Płaszcz— My Tippet—only Tulle—
Stanęłyśmy przed Domem—niskim We paused before a House that seemed
Jak Gruntu Wybrzuszenie— A Swelling of the Ground—
Dach ledwie był widoczny— The Roof was scarcely visible—
Gzymsy wrośnięte w Ziemię— The Cornice—in the Ground—
Odtąd—Stulecia już—a jednak Since then—'tis Centuries—and yet
Każde z nich prędzej przeszło Feels shorter than the Day
Niż Dzień, gdy pierwszy raz pojęłam, I first surmised the Horses Heads
Że Końskie Łby prą w Wieczność— Were toward Eternity—

My translation of this poem forms part of a larger project, my bilingual collection of 100 wierszy ["100 Poems"] by Emily Dickinson published in Poland in 1991. This collection, in turn, has to be viewed in the [End Page 121] larger historical context of translating Dickinson into Polish. My chief predecessor—and the author whose conception of translating Dickinson actually provoked me to a polemical conception of my own—was the well-known poet, Kazimiera Illakowiczówna (1892-1983), who in 1965 published the only earlier book-length collection of Dickinson's poems in Polish. With all due respect to her pioneering attempt, Illakowiczówna translated Dickinson as a Victorian poet, mostly following the poetics and style of Polish fin-de-siecle.

I view Dickinson, on the other hand, as a fundamentally modern poet, one who demands that her idiosyncratic stylistic traits be not smoothed over or made to sound conventional. Ironically enough, for the Polish translator the best key to Dickinson's poetic diction is the terse, compressed, and elliptical style of the great poet Cyprian Norwid (1821-83), Dickinson's almost exact contemporary, who died before fin-de-siecle mannerisms set in. Despite certain thematic differences, his stunning innovations in the area of style, verse construction, and composition match those of Dickinson in their originality and functionality. Norwid brought into Polish poetry principles of conciseness (resulting in irregular verse), concrete and "down-to-earth" vision, and elliptical language.

Translating Dickinson into Polish calls for precisely such stylistic principles, and Norwid's example, if understood properly, is invaluable. Obtaining that help is, however, a complicated and difficult process. Differences in language, literary traditions, and culture...

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