the flipped eye book of translations

the

flipped eye book of

translations with content from lexEYEcon www.flippedeye.net/lexicon

© original authors & translators

flipped eye publishing

the flipped eye book of translations

simple words, rendered sublime

the flipped eye book of translations flipped eye publishing www.flippedeye.net

Sampler Copyright © original authors and translators, 2008 Illustration elements © ©iStockphoto.com/minimil & Petraski Cover Design © Petraski, flipped eye publishing, 2008 All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmi�ed, in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except under the conditions listed: A�ribution: You must a�ribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work).

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[6 Notes On My Piano

by Ainsley Burrows

Amidst the shadows I dance with death Making a mockery of mine own lethargy Wondering What if death were man’s only escape From this wretched life?

Fe�ered by my shortcomings I live a baffled existence Grappling with the yeas And nays of mortals Is it not man who makes the moment, or is it the moment that makes man?

What if death does not exist?

What then?

My understanding sits Down the barrel of a loaded gun Laying wait As I stand here Rearranging my thoughts To match my insipid existence I live because life is all I know And I know there has to be more to life Than this.

7] Notas en mi Piano por Ainsley Burrows

(traducción en Espanol por Niki Aguirre)

En medio de las sombras bailo con la muerte Haciendo un pobre chiste de mi propio letargo ¿Preguntandome Si sera la muerte el único escape Para partir de esta vida desgraciada?

Encarcelado por mis defectos Vivo una existencia desconcertada Luchando con los que dicen si o no ¿Es el hombre que hace el momento O es el momento que hace el hombre? ¿Y si la muerte no existe? ¿Qué entonces?

Mi comprensión mira Hacia el barril de una pistola cargada Esperando Mientras yo quedo aquí parado Cambiando mis pensamientos Para igualar esta existencia insípida Vivo porque la vida es todo lo que sé y sé qué hay mucha mas que necesito saber de la vida

[8 Gravity

by Jacob Sam-La Rose

When we were young, we worshipped stars.

Our symbols of faith were ticks and stripes endorsed by gleaming long-limbed gods frozen/framed in the act of impossible flight, plastered on our walls. For a time we tried to follow, find the staircase, learn the trick, to rise, to carve out our own piece of sky with a bu�er-smooth arc of an arm and a Spalding ball glued to the fingertips.

We thought we knew. Sooner or later, for each of us, gravity came calling to shackle our ankles and dreams.

But, for a time, we were free.

9] La Gravité par Jacob Sam-La Rose

(traduction par Nii Ayikwei Parkes)

Quand nous étions jeunes, étoiles étaient notre culte.

Nos marques de la foi étaient des tiques et bandes recommandé par brillants dieux avec longues jambes immobilisés/encadrée dans des actes de vol impossible, collé sur nos murs. Pendant une tranche du temps, nous avons essayé à suivre, trouver l’escalier, découvrez le truc, à décoller, à découper un morceau de ciel privée avec un arc d’un bras aussi lisse que le beurre, une balle Spalding a�achée fidelement au bout des doigts.

Nous avons pensé que nous savions. Tôt ou tard, la gravité est venu nous rappeler, chacun a son tour, sangler nos chevilles et nos rêves.

Mais, pour un instant, nous étions libres.

This booklet is a test publication for our lexEYEcon translation wiki project. lexEYEcon is a new initiative by flipped eye publishing limited to work towards making our publications available in languages other than the original language of publication by inviting multi-lingual readers to collaborate on translating texts. Once a final version is agreed on, the text will be made available as a free downloadable PDF forma�ed to look like a page from the original book. If an entire book is translated, flipped eye will make the entire text available as a downloadable and printable PDF complete with cover artwork. All translators will be given credit in the PDF versions and if the translations are subsequently published by another publisher the translators will be entitled to credit and remuneration where applicable. lexEYEcon is derived from the word lexicon, which refers to the entire linguistic toolbox of a language and the i in the middle of our name: flipped EYE publishing. For us, the EYE symbolises a point of view, a way of seeing an aspect which is crucial to quality translations, since it is not the simple act of translating words that makes a good translated poem, but rather the act of empathising with the original writer and seeing the world through their eyes an act that elevates translation from the mechanical to the emotional.

To get involved visit: www.flippedeye.net/lexicon