noldo: (Default)
noldo ([personal profile] noldo) wrote in [community profile] forkedtongues2012-01-02 12:34 pm

Ismail Kadare, 'Edhe kur kujtesa'/'Même quand mon souvenir'

Can't find an English translation of this online, though I may be searching the wrong places; thus, I have put together a quick version based on combination of Albanian dictionary and the author's own French version. Please tell me if anything has been grossly misinterpreted by me.



Edhe kur kujtesa ime e lodhur,
Ashtu si ato tramvajet e pasmesnatës
Vetëm në stacionet kryesore do të ndalojë,
Unë ty s'do të harroj.

Do të kujtoj
Mbrëmjen e heshtur, të pafund të syve të tu,
Dënesën e mbytur, rrëzuar mbi supin tim
Si një dëborë të pashkundshme.

Ndarja erdhi,
Po iki larg prej teje.
Asgjë e jashtëzakonshme,
Veç ndonjë natë
Gishtat e dikujt do pleksen në flokët e tu
Me të largëtit gishtat e mi, me kilometra të gjatë.


Même quand mon souvenir affaibli,
pareil aux trams d'après minuit,
ne s'arrêtera plus qu'aux principaux arrêts,
jamais je ne t'oublierai.

Je garderai en mémoire
le crépuscule immense et silencieux de ton regard,
et ce gémissement étouffé contre mon épaule
comme les flocons d'une neige un peu folle.

C'est l'heure de se séparer.
Je vais m'en aller loin de toi.
Rien là qui puisse étonner.
Pourtant, une autre nuit, les doigts
d'un autre dans tes cheveux viendront
s'entrelacer aux miens, mes doigts
de milliers de kilomètres de long.


Even when my memory falters,
like the trams after midnight
who no longer visit any but the major stops --
I will never forget you.

I will remember
the endless and silent twilight of your eyes,
your muted sob light against my shoulder
like a flake of snow.

It's time to be separated.
I will go far from you,
to where nothing is surprising.
But, some other night, the fingers
of another in your hair will find themselves
intertwined with mine, my fingers
millions of kilometres long.
kaiz: (longfire)

[personal profile] kaiz 2012-01-02 05:58 am (UTC)(link)
This is an amazing poem. Thank you so very much for the translation.
highlyeccentric: Ravenclaw: how do you spell "unfuckable" in Latin? (Ravenclaw - unfuckable in latin)

[personal profile] highlyeccentric 2012-01-02 09:15 am (UTC)(link)
It's really beautiful in the French. Thank you :)
dhobikikutti: earthen diya (Default)

[personal profile] dhobikikutti 2012-01-02 11:25 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, those last four lines. Irshad, man.
spiralsheep: Flowers (skywardprodigal Cog Flowers)

[personal profile] spiralsheep 2012-01-02 11:05 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm not qualified to comment on the quality of your translation but reading it as a poem then it's beautiful. Thank you for sharing.