Weöres (1913 – 1989) was not only a legend in a nation of great poets, but was also one of the finest and most versatile poets in any language in the twentieth century. His range was unbelieveable: he wrote abstract sound-poems, brief lyrics, a series of enormous and weighty compositions he called his Symphonies, humorous verse, plays, oratorios, novels which were themselves linguistic experiments… and the Hungarian Etudes, a book of verses for children, which has become a beloved part of his country’s cultural heritage.
I love this poem, because it moves from benign nonsense to something much more serious before the reader has had a chance to realize what’s happening. In this translation, I have tried my best to mimic the vigorous word-play of the original. Evidently I succeeded: my translation was selected by Londin’s Hungarian Cultural Centre for inclusion in the publication ZOO-TOPIA (2012), published in conjunction with the Royal College of Art.
Monkeyland
Hey! for distant Monkeyland,
In monkeyfield and monkeysquare
Monkeyteacher makes Monquita
In monkeymanufacturies
Monkeymonarch spouts decrees
Macacque, gorilla, chimpanzee,
In memory of monkeymeal
Monstrous monkeymilitary
— Sándor Weöres |
Majomország
Hej de messze majomország,
Majomtéren, majomréten
Majomtanártól majomlány
Megépül a majommalom,
Majompóznán majomkirály
Makákó, gorilla, csimpánz,
Majomvacsoraemléktől
Rémületes majomarcot — Weöres Sándor |
Mr. Laughlin,
this translation is just brilliant.
Kind regards- F. David
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AagQes8Q6zY&index=30&list=PL1hRhdzDNN5Qk7HGMTIGfgT1JXVtrgaAy