The Effects of Translations: An Analysis on Charles Baudelaire’s French Translations of Edgar Allan Poe’s “Ligeia” and “The Haunted Palace”
Written by Spice Walker June 6th, 2012 Prof. Sandler, Spring Term HC American Poetry Archives
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Ligeia Passage By Edgar Allan Poe I had felt that some palpable although invisible object had passed lightly by my person; and I saw that there lay upon the golden carpet, in the very middle of the rich lustre thrown from the censer, a shadow --a faint, indefinite shadow of angelic aspect --such as might be fancied for the shadow of a shade. But I was wild with the excitement of an immoderate dose of opium, and heeded these things but little, nor spoke of them to Rowena. Having found the wine, I recrossed the chamber, and poured out a gobletful, which I held to the lips of the fainting lady. She had now partially recovered, however, and took the vessel herself, while I sank upon an ottoman near me, with my eyes fastened upon her person. It was then that I became distinctly aware of a gentle footfall upon the carpet, and near the couch; and in a second thereafter, as Rowena was in the act of raising the wine to her lips, I saw, or may have dreamed that I saw, fall within the goblet, as if from some invisible spring in the atmosphere of the room, three or four large drops of a brilliant and ruby colored fluid. If this I saw --not so Rowena. She swallowed the wine unhesitatingly, and I forbore to speak to her of a circumstance which must, after all, I considered, have been but the suggestion of a vivid imagination, rendered morbidly active by the terror of the lady, by the opium, and by the hour. Ligeia Passage Translated by Charles Baudelaire J’avais senti que quelque chose de palpable, quoique invisible, avait frôle légèrement ma personne, et je vis sur le tapis d’or, au centre même du riche rayon – nuement projeté par l’encensoir, une ombre, - une ombre faible, indéfinie, d’un aspect angélique, - telle qu’on peut se figurer l’ombre d’une Ombre. Mais, comme j’étais en proie à une dose exagérée d’opium, je ne fis que peu d’attention à ces chose, et je n’en parlai point a Rowena. Je trouvai le vin, je traversai de nouveau la chambre, et je remplis un verre que je portai aux lèvres de ma femme défaillante. Cependant elle était un peu remise, et elle prit le verre elle – même, pendant que je ma laissais tomber sur l’ottomane, le yeux fixés sur sa personne. Ce fut alors que j’entendis distinctement un léger bruit de pas sur le tapis et près du lit ; et une seconde après, comme Rowena allait porter le vin à ses lèvres, je vis, - je puis l’avoir rêvé, - je vis tomber dans la verre, comme de quelque source invisible suspendue dans l’at – mosphère de la chambre, trois ou quatre grosses gouttes d’un fluide brillant et couleur de rubis. Si je le vis, - Rowena ne le vit pas. Elle avala le vin sans hésitation, et je me gardai bien de lui parler d’une circonstance que je devais, après tout, regarder comme la suggestion d’une imagination sur excitée, et dont tout, - les terreurs de ma femme, l’opium et l’heure, - augmentait l’activité morbide.
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Baudelaire’s Translations of Poe By Spice Walker First expressed in the 19th century, the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis is the idea of linguistic determinism and linguistic relativity that theorizes how language influences a person’s thoughts across cultures. Two versions of the theory exist: the ‘strong’ version conceives that language completely determines thought, thus establishing our cognitive psychology; the ‘weak’ version posits that linguistic categories and usage influence thought and forms of non-linguistic behavior. (Senft, Östman, and Verschueren, 2009, pg. 32) Many linguists are hesitant to accept the latter, believing that our language could influence the way we perceive the world. Chilean poet Pablo Neruda noted: “It is not a question of interpretative equivalence: no, the sense can be right, but this correctness of translation, of meaning, can be the destruction of a poem. In many of the translations into French - I don't say in all of them - my poetry escapes, nothing remains; one cannot protest because it says the same thing that one has written. But it is obvious that if I had been a French poet, I would not have said what I did in that poem, because the value of the words is so different. I would have written something else.”. (Interview by Rita Guibert, 1971)
In addition, consideration must be given to the social context of language use, as opposed to merely the words, in order to further empathize with a particular piece of work. Furthermore, translations create new versions of works depending on the cultural audience. Beginning in the 1850s, Charles Baudelaire devoted his time and effort to introducing the French to Edgar Allan Poe’s merit through his various translations – a deed that had its inevitable pros and cons. Despite being known as one of the best translators of all times, Baudelaire advertised Poe’s literary techniques with both constructed vagueness and focused emphasis, sacrificing Poe’s subtly and reader
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experience to provide a broad impression of Poe’s poems/stories that would enthuse the mass of France. During his lifetime, American poet Edgar Allan Poe was a misunderstood romantic, one who explored the darker side of humanity and created nightmarish visions that contained much mystery. Despite these morbid ways of conveying his poetic creations, he was not the only one who expressed interest in such depravity. Recognized as the great French poet of the mid nineteenth century, Baudelaire experienced a strong kinship with Poe, and felt as if he was finding the poète maudit of himself in Poe’s writing, persona and philosophy. (Moreno and Aragón, 2010, pg. 25) By recreating Poe, Baudelaire was simultaneously attempting to better understand himself as well. Baudelaire wrote in a letter to literary critic Sainte-Beuve saying, “Edgar Allan Poe, who isn't much in America must become a great man in France -- at least that is what I want.” (Quinn, 1950, pg. 3) In order to produce worthy translations, Baudelaire exhaustedly studied the English language to maximize his knowledge and also learned everything he could about his subject, a period of time spanning nearly three years. He contacted anyone who had even the slightest connection to Poe’s work; for instance, while working on a translation for Eureka, Baudelaire attempted to contact German scientist Humboldt, hoping to gain insight on his opinion of the story’s scientific interest. (Baudelaire, 1952, pg. 15) In his Translator’s Note, Baudelaire says: “Every true lover of poetry will recognize that the first of these duties is very nearly an impossibility, and that my very humble and very devoted skills as translator is insufficient to make up for the missing pleasures of rhythm and rime. For those who are very sensitive, all the marvels of the pure poet can be at least partly glimpsed through the fragmented of poetry including the Conqueror Worm in Ligeia, the Haunted Palace in The Fall of the House of Usher and the so mysteriously eloquent poem called The Raven.” (Baudelaire, 1952, pg. 165)
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With the amount of admiration and dedication contributing to Baudelaire’s perception of Poe, there exists a prejudiced modernization of an identity in his translations. A considerable question then arises: did the French marvel at the literary greatness of Poe’s writing, or rather Baudelaire’s depiction of Poe that principally served to promote his French reputation? Literary critic and poet T.S. Eliot, one of Poe’s detractors, believed that Baudelaire “transformed what is often a slipshop…English into admirable French.” (Baudelaire, 1952, pg. 28) Although Poe seems to have become a French “product,” the excessive research Baudelaire did on Poe is astounding, thus providing readers a convincing sense of credibility and veracity. The French have a saying: "Traduire, c'est trahir” -- to translate is to betray,” a phrase that Baudelaire obviously endeavored to disprove with his translations of Poe. With similar themes of evil, nature and the mystical, Charles Baudelaire felt a powerful connection with Poe’s work, saying that it not only shared "tastes, feelings, and habits of thought" but "actual phrases from his imagination.” (Duquette, 2003, pg. 20) Published in 1839, The Haunted Palace exemplifies the enigmatic poetry of Edgar Allen Poe through his Gothic style and captivating anthropomorphism. The allegorical poem describes a majestic palace and its king “in the olden time long ago” who possessed great wit and wisdom. As time passes, his dominion suffers from the corruption of unspecified evils and falls to physical ruin. The overarching metaphorical theme conveys how evil and deterioration will ultimately take over, foreshadowing impending doom in relation to the corruption of man whether by society or insanity. In Baudelaire’s translation of Poe’s The Haunted Palace, the themes and symbolic imagery are more clearly presented, thus alleviating the reader’s experience
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from the complexity of Poe’s work. For example, personification and symbolism serve as a significant literary tool to metaphorically portray the palace as a human head. Banners yellow, glorious, golden symbolize blond hair, the two luminous windows are eyes, pearl and ruby describe the teeth and lips, and the Palace door is the human’s mouth. But it is the translation of the color “yellow” that presents an interesting exchange of literary analysis. Poe uses alliteration and assonance such as yellow, glorious, golden to stress the “o” sound. Similarly, an alliteration is seen in “Des banniers blondes, superbes, dorees” with the “b” sound. Despite the clever alternative, the word “blondes” brings substantial emphasis to one of Poe’s relatively subtle use of personification. According to the 1835 Dictionary of the French Academy, “blonde” refers to “coiffure de blonde,” or blonde hairstyle. Based on this fact, to what extent would the language influence a reader’s thoughts regarding the poem’s literary analysis? The original word “yellow” does not provoke the same obviousness and, moreover, does not indicate any direct relation to a human being. As Baudelaire calls attention to these obscure human qualities, the poem’s setting and imagery stresses a deeper meaning amongst the reader in their patterned role of evil and deterioration within society. As well as contributing to the factors that affect a reader’s experience, Baudelaire’s altering of the word “wanderers” to “voyageurs” changes their relation to the characters. In the course of Poe’s The Haunted Palace, the societal people transition from being called “wanderers” to “travelers,” demonstrating a shift from an aimless meanderer towards someone oriented with goals and destinations. This shift also presents the notion of time passing as the people’s mindsets change over time. In
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addition, descriptors of colors arrange in the order of greenest, yellow, ruby, dim, red, and pale throughout the poem, transitioning from bright to dim colors. Poe utilizes synesthesia to relate sight/imagery with the passing of time, connecting to the societal people’s modified aims and ambitions resulted by the palace’s corruption. Yet, in Baudelaire’s rendition, only the term “voyageurs” refers to the people, and no variation exists. Often in Romanticism, the depiction of a looming, uncontrollable fate exists amongst individuals. Baudelaire falls short of this aspect as he omits the impact of a lost, wandering soul – seized by the hands of fate. Poe stylizes his interpretation of Romanticism while also showing the obtained result of personal growth. Finding one’s self and the attempt to establish this goal highlights a significant part of Poe’s writing, especially through his symbolism and diction. (Culler, 1990, pg. 63) The subtly of Poe’s themes is reduced as matters in Baudelaire’s translation are accentuated in a rather pithy manner. Along with diction and word choice, syntax plays an important role in Baudelaire’s transition; it sacrifices literary style and the reader’s experience in order to publicize Poe’s persona as a writer. In the short story Ligeia, Baudelaire features Poe’s overarching themes such as the morbid activity, correlating to his infamous sense of mysterious and darkness, to provide the French a broad, general spectrum of Poe’s artistic skills paired with a clearly translated plot. It conveys the love between an unknown narrator and his beloved Ligeia, a woman, “raven-haired and dark-eyed,” who possesses a strange beauty. The tale presents Romanticism in the 19th century by detaching from the ordinary and placing emphasis on the rather mysteriously
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indefinite. Ligea epitomizes the literary techniques that Poe had strived to achieve, combining Gothic styles into a story revolving around a subject of romanticism that captivates the reader into an almost supernatural experience. As the tale goes, Ligeia, the wife of the narrator, unexpectedly becomes ill and dies. The narrator moves to Europe and remarries a woman named Rowena, whose character and appearance greatly contrast that of his deceased Ligeia. Strangely enough, Rowena also falls ill; as the opium-induced narrator tends her body overnight, Rowena comes back from the dead, transformed into Ligeia. Poe employs first-person point of view, a general set up for a fallacious narrator. Despite the reasons for his biased remembrance, the narrator owns up to his shortcomings and directly communicates what might be flawed, for instance, when he clarifies his narration with “I saw, or may have dreamed that I saw.” In addition, there is no hiding of his incoherent and convoluted verbalizations – the sentence structure even enhances his credibility. Instead, Baudelaire’s translation use more structured sentences, paradoxically reducing the influence on the narrator’s stream of consciousness and heightening the opium’s control. Tim Farrant says: “Such examples introduce a connectedness, via notation absent from the originals, restoring a social connectedness central to the social function of the pre-Baudelaire conte but signally lacking in Poe. Baudelaire’s renderings lose the strangeness of Poe’s formulations, the way his sentences stop short, shock us, leave us high and dry.” (Farrant, 2010)
In the passage, for instance, Poe’s “Having found the wine” is translated to “Je trouvai le vin,” or simply, “I found the wine.” A definite subject is identified; the original subordinate clause is lost with the replacement of a main clause. This detracts from the narrator’s run-on vocalizations and his general characterization while under the
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influence. Furthermore, the stream of consciousness is again lost when Baudelaire uses the conditional simple for the phrase “As Rowena was in the act of raising the wine to her lips.” Instead, it reads “Comme Rowena allait porter le vin à ses levres,” or "As Rowena would bring the wine to her lips.” The changing of tense provokes the thought that this is a general action, one that is not significant. Stating that she is “in the act of” brings about a special occasion draws the reader to focus in on that particular moment. The boundless control that opium has on a person’s mind and actions plays a greater role in Baudelaire’s interpretation. Instead of being “wild with the excitement for an immoderate dose of opium,” a statement that promotes the notion of personal choice and interest, Baudelaire uses “Mais, comme j’étais en proie à une dose exagérée d’opium.” “In the grip of” furthers the preposition “En proie à,” suggesting a tone of frightening supremacy over the narrator’s mental capacities. The words “wild” and “excitement” would be easy enough to directly translate, but could also imply a more prominent sexual connotation in French. Moreover, Poe highlights a sense of darkness and grimness in his works, but the beauty of his magic lies in his subtly. He impeccably captures the abnormalities and strangeness that occur within the human mind without having to underline any specific moments. Looking at Poe’s writing and Baudelaire’s version, the last sentence of the passage reads: “She swallowed the wine unhestiatedly, and I forbore to speak to her of a circumstance which must, after all, I considered, have been but the suggestion of a vivid imagination, rendered morbidly active by the terror of the lady, by the opium, and by the hour.” “Elle avala le vin sans hésitation, et je me gardai bien de lui parler d'une circonstance que je devais, après tout, regarder comme la suggestion d'une imagination sur excitée, et dont tout, - les terreurs de ma femme, l’opium et l’heure, - augmentait l’activité morbide.”
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The syntax is noticeably different; in the English version, the sentence brings focus to the factors that cause the morbid activity rather than the activity itself. Poe’s draws indirect and almost unnoticed attention to the morbid activity by not ending the passage with those exact words. On the contrary, Baudelaire’s construal brings focus to the strangeness of what is going on and less on the time, terror and opium. The subtly of Poe creates an opium experience for the reader, concentrating on the things that have led to this one moment in time. Baudelaire instead provokes the consideration of one aspect that can be perceived by many people in various difference ways. It is also worth noting that Baudelaire was attracted to the idea of choosing the reaction a reader would have and indicating the effects leading to that reaction, (Baudelaire, 1952, pg. 168) supporting his choice of ending the passage with the reaction of morbidity that correlates to the narrator’s current state of mind. Without Charles Baudelaire, the influence of Poe’s work would have been severely diminished. Even with evident adjustments where made in Baudelaire’s translations, Tim Farrant further states, “These very translation ‘failings’ perhaps connected Poe to his new French audience more effectively than closer renderings, or than Poe’s originals to his first American readers back home.” (Farrant, 2010) Although described as “failing,” Poe fashioned experiences for the reader that, quite frankly, no translator could accurately interpret for a large mass of people. In spite of that, Baudelaire did illuminate the presence of a “great man in France” as he shared the American poet’s stories with exquisite construction and strived to exhibit the artistic brilliance that he personally saw in Poe’s works.
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Bibliography Baudelaire, Charles. Baudelaire on Poe; Critical Papers. State College, PA: Bald Eagle, 1952. Culler, Jonathan. "Baudelaire and Poe." Zeitschrift Für Französische Sprache Und Literatur. 1990. 61-73. Duquette, Elizabeth. Translation and Literature. Edinburgh: Edinburgh UP, 2003. Farrant, Tim. “Baudelaire’s Poe: an influential (mis?) reading?”, Loxias, Loxias 28, March 15, 2010, http://revel.unice.fr/loxias/index.html?id=6015. González, Moreno Beatriz., and Aragón Margarita. Rigal. A Descent into Edgar Allan Poe and His Works: The Bicentennial. New York: Peter Lang, 2010. "Pablo Neruda, The Art of Poetry No. 14." Interview by Rita Guibert. The Paris Review 1971. Quinn, Patrick F. "The Profundities of Edgar Poe." France and World Literature. New Haven: Yale French Studies, 1950. Senft, Gunter, Jan-Ola Östman, and Jef Verschueren. Culture and Language Use. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Pub., 2009
*Caitlin Bradley, a French professor at the University of Oregon, was also a valued source of knowledge while comparing the works of Baudelaire and Poe side-by-side. - 12 -