> The Passion VI: Translation is a Language

THE PASSION VI

translation is a language

in which to speak to foreigners

but you and I speak in our own tongue

we speak in kisses

my sense meets yours

and I sense your meaning too

with these tongues and with these lips
we speak ourselves afresh

at each hello

coming into being with each other

within each other

we feel through each other’s sense
we are what each other means

when we’re lost for words

I try to translate this to others
but find I need some worded form of speech
and so I write something

different from what I mean to say

The above poem was put into the online translation service Systranet. The poem was translated from English to Dutch; Dutch to German; German to French; French to Italian; Italian to Greek; and from Greek back into English. The following translation is the result.

this translation is a language

in that, in order to speak with strangers,

we in our own sea-tongue speak

which we spoke within the kissing

my meaning concerns you

and I uncover also your meaning

which is one ton,

and with these lips we speak about new hours with each hello implementation
between them at the center of him we are by
the mutual meaning sums of what one wants to say

if we are lost for these words

I try to translate this at others but need I to find no other
formulated kind of our speech and so must write something
which postpones that which I want to say

timothy emlyn jones