Did you know that we translators have our own poet laureate – who’s also a pretty mean rapper?
Here’s a sample:
The deadline
Ten thousand words for Friday
OK that should be fineTwo thousand words a day
A good steady pace I must sayDay one and all is going fine
It’s telly tonight with a glass of wineDay two and a favourite client asks
Would I have time for a couple of tasks?They’re not too long so I say ‘yes’
I set to work and hope for the best
Did our translator make the deadline? Find out at Chatter and Verse, the new blog by Alison Hughes devoted to “‘poems’ about situations we translators, indeed freelancers in general, often face”.
And here’s The Translator’s Rap, again by Alison. Watch your back, Carol Anne Duffy!
By Marian Dougan
4 Responses
Marian, thank you so much for sharing. I enjoyed this tremendously and shared the poems on Twitter. Have a nice weekend and a superb week!
You’re welcome, Nélida! I enjoyed them too – Alison’s clearly got hidden talents, in addition to her translation skills!
This is great, but don’t forget Sharon Neeman singing ‘5000 words’ on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9KbQyrxSIo
Thanks Margaret, and thanks for reminding me of “5000 words” – I saw it a couple of years ago but had forgotten about it.