Though years may pass

In San Francisco, grandson Chance took us to Alley Cat Books in the Mission. Excellent used books and an art gallery. Phil was delighted by the Mexican posters there, strong graphic design skewed toward social justice issues. This one drew his eye immediately. The book seller carefully rolled it into a cardboard tube for safe travel. The artist is a friend of his, has a studio in Mexico City.

Oaxaca

I love the permeability of borders in today’s world, although artists have always found their way across borders. This poster is for Oaxaca: home of perennial rebellion and a long ago visit that shimmers in our memory.

Así pasen años, hay barricadas que no se apagan,
las que arden con el corazón.

The statement stirred me. Standing in the bookstore, I was frustrated, because no adequate translation came to mind. The verb apagar means to put out, extinguish, (apaga la luz/turn out the light) silence, soften, placate, (tiempo apaga los rencores/time soothes bad feelings) and more.

Reflexive, as it is here, apagarse: to go out, fade, finish, die, dim, end, vanish. Here, barricades that cannot have an action done to them, or cannot do it to themselves.

Small common words are sometimes difficult, translation depending on context, but translation always depends on context. We learn con means “with” by menu: con queso. Not so here. After several awkward renderings, I arrived at these two, not happy with either:

Though years go by, there are torched barricades that don’t go out—
Those aflame in the heart.

Though years pass, there are barricades that can’t be taken down
those that burn in the heart.

I sent them to Agustín Cadena, a Mexican writer I translate:

Me gusta más la segunda opción: “barricades that can’t be taken down”. Maybe all options are imprecise, but the original Spanish is imprecise too. Anyway, I think “barricades that can’t be taken down” is closer to the political implications of it, as it is passive: “taken down” means by someone, whether Government, police, silence, time, etc.

I sent them to a number of my excellent Spanish-to-English translator friends. Jill Gibian suggested, “for ‘Así pasen años’ you might want ‘may pass’ to highlight the use of the subjunctive.” Of course I do, Jill. Gracias!

Amanda Powell wrote: “Barricades traditionally get built (tossed together) in the streets, then set ablaze (right, Jacobin sisters?) I can’t be the only old Re-Vo-Lulu here.”

She reminded us of 1968; Seattle, 1999, WTO. I flashed on my own forays into the streets.  Sacramento, 1967: massive march in protest of Governor Reagan, the Vietnam war, in support of the farmworkers’ grape boycott. The attempt to unionize social workers that led to my one night in jail, a badge of honor I pull out to polish now and then.

Amanda added: “I’m also thinking about that graceful phrase ‘las que arden *con* el corazón’.” She suggested:

Though years may pass, some barricades are still burning /still burn—
those the heart sets ablaze.

Amanda ended her email: ¡A las barricadas! ¡No pasarán!!

Agustín ended his: “Hasta la victoria!”

What or who demolishes barricades? How often does passion dim and account for defeat more than whoever or whatever the enemy is? As Agustín said, time also kills those flames. I contemplate smothering, quenching, but am unsatisfied. The saying is hopeful about humanity: believes some passions never die.

I stood in Alley Cat Books gazing rapt at that poster in July. It is now September. A few days ago, I showed Phil the options. By then I had:

Although years may pass, some barricades cannot be doused—
those that flame in the heart.

I didn’t like doused. Phil is my alpha reader. He doesn’t know Spanish. His English is what I need. He made excellent suggestions, as usual. Now I have this, because of Phil and because I’m a sucker for alliteration:

Though years may pass, some barricades yet burn—
those ablaze in the heart.

This too may change. Such is the fluidity of translation, which like any good writing, is never done.

No nos moverán! We shall not be moved! Like a tree planted by the río…

 

Gran Om, the visual arts studio, has many wonderful posters:

https://granom.com.mx/

 

 

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4 Responses to Though years may pass

  1. Jenny-Lynn says:

    Oh, yes, some barricades yet burn! This two month play with meaningful translation says so much about your craft! Thanks for posting, as always.

  2. Denise Gibson says:

    It is so fascinating to see your translation come to life.
    My rough translation would have been
    As years pass by
    There are barricades that won’t flame out
    Those that burn with the heart

    I think that “con” becomes important, for as long as the heart beats (and we are yet alive) we remain witness to those barricades burning.

  3. Andrea Jones says:

    Pat, I love to see thinking in motion. What fun to watch as you model both the challenges of translation and the synergies of collaboration. Bravo.

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