A LITTLE MORE VERSES

A TRAITOR?

They say a translator
is a traitor
more elusive than a gator,
not worth even a small potator,
a real agitator,
to give the middle finger and say "see you lator,"
a bear-baitor,
a lie creator,
of great authors a castrator.

Well, they're partially wrong
and partially right.
Not every translator's
a traitor in sight.
And those who don't know it
just lack the insight.

For there's more than one go-getter,
who, translating without any fetter,
has actually made the target text even better,
the original to improve,
of which I do approve,
by making in translation always a right move.

In an Oliver Twist line, I got the word "pane:"
a glass sheet on a window to keep out the rain.
Nigh instinctively, I rendered this "pane" as "luna..."
And my teachers were so close to sing "O Fortuna!"
For the word "pane" can be in the neck a real pain (pane),
and other students had sought the right word in vain.
I think in writing "luna" I was the only one...
and I'm still proud and happy for what I had done!

OCA RHYMES IN ENGLISH

My own translation of the Juego de la Oca rhymes:

¡De oca a oca,
y tiro porque me toca!

From goose to goose,
and faster than moose!

¡De puente a puente,
y tiro porque me lleva la corriente!

From bridge to bridge,
I roll when I reach a ridge!

¡De dados a dados,
y tiro porque me ha tocado!

From dice to dice,
I roll as cool as ice!

SONS OF POETRY