François Villon and Ilya Ehrenburg

As I am sitting here pondering the intercultural experiences of translators and interpreters, I am reminded by the themes in my own life of the nostalgic experience of acquired multiculturalism. The naive simplicity of a single cultural identity with clearly delineated, taken for granted, unquestioned moral norms, is irrevocably lost for those who learn multiple languages and immerse themselves into multiple realities. Their experience reminds me of one of my favorite ancient Chinese sayings: For ten years I searched for the road home, and now I forgot where I came from.

To be fair, this saying is anything but Chinese, and anything but ancient. It is from my favorite collection published in Moscow in 1990, a brilliant Russian translation of the Chinese original. I translated the translation into English (the Russian version is Десять лет я искал дорогу домой, а теперь позабыл, откуда пришел). The Russian translator, Vladimir Malyavin, presented Confucius and Lao Tzu by drawing aphoristic sayings from the Analects and Tao Te Ching and rendering them in beautiful, poetic prose. I have no idea how close they are to the original; but the translation is so wonderful I could say it is on of the most influential (if not the most influential) books that I have ever read. In fact, Malyavin's collection, along with Pushkin's Evgeny Onegin, are the only two books in Russian that I brought with me from Russia when I came to the U.S.

Among my all time favories is another powerful yet not a subserviently faithful translation (similar to Malyavin's translations from Chinese) - Ilya Ehrenburg's Russian translation from French of François Villon's Ballade du concours de Blois. The original with its paradoxical binary oppositons renders itself well for Ehrenburg enchanting aphoristic translation (the social context of it is described masterfully by Miller Reuven here (In Russian)). The final line of each stanza could rival the Chinese saying presented above for the immigrants' motto: Я всеми принят, изгнан отовсюду (my word-for-word translation: I am received by all, exiled from everywhere).

Here are Ehrenburg's translation, Kilne's English translation, and the French original.

От жажды умираю над ручьем.
Смеюсь сквозь слезы и тружусь, играя.
Куда бы ни пошел, везде мой дом,
Чужбина мне - страна моя родная.
Я знаю все, я ничего не знаю.
Мне из людей всего понятней тот,
Кто лебедицу вороном зовет.
Я сомневаюсь в явном, верю чуду.
Нагой, как червь, пышней я Всех господ.
Я всеми принят, изгнан отовсюду.

Я скуп и расточителен во всем.
Я жду и ничего не ожидаю.
Я нищ, и я кичусь своим добром.
Трещит мороз - я вижу розы мая.
Долина слез мне радостнее рая.
Зажгут костер - и дрожь меня берет,
Мне сердце отогреет только лед.
Запомню шутку я и вдруг забуду,
Кому презренье, а кому почет.
Я всеми принят, изгнан отовсюду.

Не вижу я, кто бродит под окном,
Но звезды в небе ясно различаю.
Я ночью бодр, а сплю я только днем.
Я по земле с опаскою ступаю,
Не вехам, а туману доверяю.
Глухой меня услышит и поймет.
Я знаю, что полыни горше мед.
Но как понять, где правда, где причуда?
А сколько истин? Потерял им счет.
Я всеми принят, изгнан отовсюду.

Не знаю, что длиннее - час иль год,
Ручей иль море переходят вброд?
Из рая я уйду, в аду побуду.
Отчаянье мне веру придает.
Я всеми принят, изгнан отовсюду.

Translated by A. S. Kline - his other Villon translations are here.

I’m dying of thirst beside the fountain,
Hot as fire, and with chattering teeth:
In my own land, I’m in a far domain:
Near the flame, I shiver beyond belief:
Bare as a worm, dressed in a furry sheathe,
I smile in tears, wait without expectation:
Taking my comfort in sad desperation:
I rejoice, without pleasures, never a one:
Strong I am, without power or persuasion,
Welcomed gladly, and spurned by everyone.

Nothing is sure for me but what’s uncertain:
Obscure, whatever is plainly clear to see:
I’ve no doubt, except of everything certain:
Science is what happens accidentally:
I win it all, yet a loser I’m bound to be:
Saying: ‘God give you good even!’ at dawn,
I greatly fear I’m falling, when lying down:
I’ve plenty, yet I’ve not one possession,
I wait to inherit, yet I’m no heir I own,
Welcomed gladly, and spurned by everyone.

I never take care, yet I’ve taken great pain
To acquire some goods, but have none by me:
Who’s nice to me is one I hate: it’s plain,
And who speaks truth deals with me most falsely:
He’s my friend who can make me believe
A white swan is the blackest crow I’ve known:
Who thinks he’s power to help me, does me harm:
Lies, truth, to me are all one under the sun:
I remember all, have the wisdom of a stone,
Welcomed gladly, and spurned by everyone.


Merciful Prince, may it please you that I’ve shown
There’s much I know, yet without sense or reason:
I’m partial, yet I hold with all men, in common.
What more can I do? Redeem what I’ve in pawn,
Welcomed gladly, and spurned by everyone.

And finally, here's the French original.

Je meurs de seuf auprès de la fontaine,
Chaud comme feu, et tremble dent à dent;
En mon pays suis en terre lointaine;
Lez un brasier frissonne tout ardent;
Nu comme un ver, vêtu en président,
Je ris en pleurs et attends sans espoir;
Confort reprends en triste désespoir;
Je m'éjouis et n'ai plaisir aucun;
Puissant je suis sans force et sans pouvoir,
Bien recueilli, débouté de chacun.

Rien ne m'est sûr que la chose incertaine;
Obscur, fors ce qui est tout évident;
Doute ne fais, fors en chose certaine;
Science tiens à soudain accident;
Je gagne tout et demeure perdant;
Au point du jour dis : "Dieu vous doint bon soir!"
Gisant envers, j'ai grand paour de choir;
J'ai bien de quoi et si n'en ai pas un;
Echoite attends et d'homme ne suis hoir,
Bien recueilli, débouté de chacun.

De rien n'ai soin, si mets toute ma peine
D'acquérir biens et n'y suis prétendant;
Qui mieux me dit, c'est cil qui plus m'ataine,
Et qui plus vrai, lors plus me va bourdant;
Mon ami est, qui me fait entendant
D'un cygne blanc que c'est un corbeau noir;
Et qui me nuit, crois qu'il m'aide à pourvoir;
Bourde, verté, aujourd'hui m'est tout un;
Je retiens tout, rien ne sait concevoir,
Bien recueilli, débouté de chacun.

Prince clément, or vous plaise savoir
Que j'entends mout et n'ai sens ne savoir:
Partial suis, à toutes lois commun.
Que sais-je plus ? Quoi ? Les gages ravoir,
Bien recueilli, débouté de chacun.