Multilinguetry Manifest
Poetry in all languages at the same time
I’ve even read this wonderful post about Untranslatable Words, and have to admit: every language has its own power, charme and charisma. What makes poetry translators feel like Sisyphus (happy, according to Camus).
Anyway, here is a deal: why do we have to translate poetry if we can write it for every language, without translation needs? I am trying to prove the reasonability of this task with my poetry video series Multilinguetry.
What I provide:
Knowledge of
- Russian (perfect)
- German (almost perfect)
- Japanese (about to be almost perfect)
- English (you judge)
- Polish, Bulgarian, French, Italian, Latin (in a very basic stage)
What I do:
I write from my heart. I write from my head. I use the beauty of every language I can feel. I use the logic from every language I know. Because you can express your ideas and feelings at their best only in that language which you feel to be appropriate. And: I mix languages. I mix them in that impertinent, outrageous way which will cause insomnia of every language snob. I use those parts of language I feel they express at their best the ideas I have.
What you do:
You read it. And you too. And you. And everybody who reads my textes does read actually his/her own poem. You just need to know at least one language represented in this poem - and you will get the message (your personal message). If you speak two languages — you will perhaps get a completely another message. Ellipsis (caused by some unknown word/language) creates new meaning in your imagination. So every my Multilinguetry can be read in thousands of ways. Just try it out. Read the text. Listen to the video. Get a picture. Make your own Multilinguetry.
Multilinguetry: Geist
What if my полоумный Geist Вдруг lässt меня im Stich? 頭がクルっています, And I уже не ich. И где-то там das Leben goes Its gar langweilig ways. Но строг безумия спецназ, And I have stets to race…
Multilinguetry: Light
Wo ist the difference between 光、light и Licht? The sky isn’t clear, but pretty clean, I’m waiting, schlafe nicht: 重い雲の思い над головой моей, и солнце обросло травою, und eilt von mir away.
Multilinguetry: Händedruck
Händedruck Тяжесть рук Time is just a freaky spook. 僕の背中に Trage Tage, days и дни. Спотыкаюсь я о пни Of my daily harmony.
http://vimeo.com/34459376
Am I the first?
No. Of course not. Nobody is the first. Already the Avante-Gardists in their 1920ies combined languages in order to create new meanings. Compare El Lissitzky with his illustration for Victory over the Sun, a huge Russian Futurist Opera:
ALLES IST BIEN WAS GOOD НАЧИНАЕТСЯ ET HAT NO FINITA
Attempts to mix languages in a creative way begun already with the first languages. In this way were new languages actually created. So nowadays as that bromidic term “globalization” is used and misused so many times, why not to merge the global Noösphere? It does not mean a genesis of a new super-language. It does mean the use of all the strength, beauty and power of every language in this world. An ultimate poem language, which doesn’t need translation. Because your heart and your brain will translate them in its best way.