ολόμαυρη

[Theseus]

Εδώ το δίστιχο:-

Κι η Δόξα, στην ολόμαυρη που περπατούσε ράχη,
τη Λευτεριά και τη Χαρά για συντροφιά της να ‘χει.

Πιθανώς του 'που' σημαίνει εδώ 'where', αλλά γιατί περιγράφεται η ράχη ως 'ολόμαυρη' [pitch black]; Είναι το επίθετο αποκλειστικά περιγραφικό; Ή αναφέρεται το black στο χρώμα της λύπης, της θλίψης και του πένθους, έτσι αντηχώντας τους στίχους από τα δημοτικά τραγούδια π.χ. η μαύρη γη= ο τάφος, η μαύρη ξενιτιά.

 

[Palavra]

Ο αρχικός στίχος είναι από ποίημα του Σολωμού:

Στων Ψαρών την ολόμαυρη ράχη
περπατώντας η Δόξα μονάχη
μελετά τα λαμπρά παλληκάρια
και στην κόμη στεφάνι φορεί
γινωμένο από λίγα χορτάρια
πούχαν μείνει στην έρημη γη.
​

Το ποίημα αναφέρεται στην καταστροφή των Ψαρών από τον οθωμανικό στρατό το 1824. Οι Οθωμανοί κατέσφαξαν τον πληθυσμό του νησιού και το ισοπέδωσαν. Η «ολόμαυρη» ράχη είναι μάλλον αποτέλεσμα της μάχης, στο πλαίσιο της οποίας κάποιοι κάτοικοι ανατινάχθηκαν, παίρνοντας μαζί τους και ορισμένους από τους επιτιθέμενους.

 

[Theseus]

Ευχ, Παλαύρα. Τι χρησιμότατο λινκ στο Σολωμό! Δεν ήξερα το ποίημα αυτό. Μου αρέσει πολύ αυτό το λυρικό και πολύ λεπτοδουλεμένη ποίημα, αν 'αρέσει' είναι η σωστή λέξη. Το σχόλια σου ήταν πολύ χρήσιμα και βάζουν τη λέξη στο ιδιάζον πλαίσιο της.:)

 

[Inachus]

Κάποιες ενδιαφέρουσες πληροφορίες υπάρχουν και στο ακόλουθο απόσπασμα:

Η ολόμαυρη ράχη, έκφραση με την οποία ο ποιητής επιθυμεί να εκφράσει την εικόνα του κατεστραμμένου τοπίου, μας παραπέμπει στην ανατίναξη της πυριτιδαποθήκης στο Παλαιόκαστρο (περιοχή που έκτοτε ονομάστηκε Μαύρη Ράχη). Στο άκρο της χερσονήσου αυτής οι Ψαριανοί είχαν δημιουργήσει μια οχυρή θέση για να υπερασπιστούν το νησί, κι εκεί στις 22 Ιουνίου του 1824, 150 πολεμιστές που είχαν κοντά τους αρκετά γυναικόπαιδα, αντιστάθηκαν ηρωικά στους Τούρκους, φτάνοντας ως την ύστατη θυσία όταν ανατίναξαν την πυριτιδαποθήκη τους, προσφέροντας έτσι τη δική τους ζωή, αλλά και σκοτώνοντας συνάμα πολλούς εχθρούς.
Στο ερημωμένο από την καταστροφή τοπίο, περπατά η προσωποποιημένη Δόξα μόνη της, σκεπτόμενη τα λαμπρά παλικάρια, τους ηρωικούς πολεμιστές που πέθαναν εκεί.
https://latistor.blogspot.com/2013/10/blog-post_2086.html

 

[Theseus]

Θεγξ, Ίναχε, για το λινκ. Ώσπου να πρέπει να μεταφράσω αυτό το ποίημα του Ρίτσου, δεν είχα ακούσει ποτέ για τα Ψαρά και για τη τρομερή τραγωδία που συνέβη εκεί το 1824 και για τη εξαιρετική ανδρεία των Ψαριανών. Για να προσπαθώ να μεταφράσω αυτό το ποίημα στα αγγλικά είναι ένα φοβερό βάπτισμα του πυρός. Καίγομαι ακόμα!:)

 

[SBE]

Which is why in order to translate literature (and other texts) you need to have an in-depth knowledge of the cultural background and the literature of the original language.
The poem by Solomos is standard school fare, all primary schoolchildren know it and would pick up the allusion easily and the painting by Gyzis usually accompanies it.
I don't know if the books are still available, but back in the day in primary school we were given an Ανθολόγιο, a collection of literary excerpts. There were several, for each stage of learning. I don't think we ever used them in the classroom, and i suspect that the less learning- inclined pupils never bothered with them, but they were a collection of all the literature one needs to know. It might be worth looking them up (I am sure they are available online, too).

 

[Theseus]

Thanks very much, SBE. This is the reason why I find lexilogia so useful. It helps me as well as in points of translation as in literary allusion. The painting by Gyzis is amazing. 'Glory', of course, is female and to see her walking on the 'charred black' ridge, as I have now chosen to translate this adjective, is memorable. The only phrase in the poem which I am still uneasy with is 'Το δάκρυ κράτησέ το ορθό, κράτησε ορθό και το αίμα'. The only rendering that makes sense is your own: 'Keep alive/remember'. I am surprised why several other Greek 'experts' find it hard to translate as I have indicated in another thread. Thanks for all your help. Maybe 'ορθός' in this context sounds as odd to a Greek ear as it does to mine! :):)

 

[drsiebenmal]

Keep alive/remember is imho correct - and good, Theseus. Ορθός would translate "upright" I think, here, but what would this really mean? Stand up, remain up > remember and keep alive.

 

[Theseus]

Θεγξ, Δρ. Ωραίο είναι να έχω τη συνεισφορά σου, που υποστηρίζει την πρόταση της ΣΒΕ. Αφού δεν είμαι Έλληνας, ήταν δύσκολο να καταλάβω τι ακριβώς σημαίνει η φράση. Τώρα επιτέλους σκέφτομαι ότι την ξέρω την έννοια της φράσης. :)

 

[Palavra]

Κράτησε ορθό, in my opinion, also points to strength and might: keep it alive and kicking, help it remain on its feet after all that has happened to it, keep it relevant, don't let it be forgotten. If Ritsos wanted to write "alive", he could have easily done so. This is why I hate translating poetry, by the way. It can be done, but it can never be achieved.

 

[drsiebenmal]

Κράτησε ορθό, in my opinion, also points to strength and might: keep it alive and kicking, help it remain on its feet after all that has happened to it, keep it relevant, don't let it be forgotten. If Ritsos wanted to write "alive", he could have easily done so. This is why I hate translating poetry, by the way. It can be done, but it can never be achieved.

Which of those qualities are not present in "alive", Pal? :)
But you're right, the feeling can never be the same.

 

[Theseus]

Κράτησε ορθό, in my opinion, also points to strength and might: keep it alive and kicking, ,αhelpρςitύυαremain on its feet after all that has happened to it, keep it relevant, don't let it be forgotten. If Ritsos wanted to write "alive", he could have easily done so. This is why I hate translating poetry, by the way. It can be done, but it can never be achieved.

Thanks, Palαύρα, for your additional note on 'κράτησέ το δάκρυ κλ. ορθό'. The succinct 'it can be done, but it can never be achieved' is memorable and a good benchmark for the aspiring translator to measure himself/herself by.

 

[Palavra]

Which of those qualities are not present in "alive", Pal?

As I said, the meaning is the same. The connotations - not so much :)

 

[pontios]

Ορθός would translate "upright/virtuous" I think, here, but what would this really mean?

Could "upright/virtuous" here mean .... if you're going to shed a tear or spill your blood, make sure it's for the right (or fair/good) reason or cause?

Be virtuous --
Shed a virtuous tear, spill a virtuous drop (of blood).

 

[Palavra]

Νο :)

 

[drsiebenmal]

Could "upright" here mean .... if you're going to shed a tear or spill your blood, make sure it's for the right (or fair/good) reason or cause?

Shed an upright tear, spill an upright drop (of blood) - :)

No way. Never.

 

[pontios]

Perche, you naysayers? Anything is possible - there's no ολόμαυρη, when it comes to poetry; it can be either black or white. ;)

 

[Palavra]

What you say only applies to connotations and to very few literary works of art; as I said to Theseus above, he got the meaning perfectly right. He didn't get the connotations right, because this cannot be done, unless you include footnotes or explanatory notes or parenthetic phrases and change the poem so much it's not a poem any more.

Moreover, your analysis focuses only on one specific verse. It does not take into account the entire poem with which Theseus started this thread, nor the poem by Solomos to which the cross textual reference is made. That poem is deeply connected with Greek history, because it refers to a historical event. The blood has already been shed, the people have already died, the population of Psarra has already been wiped off the face of the Earth.

Not all forms of art or literature abide by this post-modern "rule" according to which anything goes and everything can be interpreted at first sight, without context. A lot of texts need to be read in light of their history, the history of the language they have been written in, and the history of the country where they were born - many more go a lot further, and need to be viewed through the prism of the global historical events of their time. This is one of those texts.

 

[drsiebenmal]

Poetry doesn't work in "anything-goes"-style; it has to be understood, also. You can't just apply any far-fetched theories.

And there is not just ολόμαυρος, there are also words used in place of superlative like κατάμαυρος, θεόμαυρος or, similarly, ολόλευκος, κατάλευκος, πάλλευκος etc.

PS. Palavra said it all so much better.

 

[Palavra]

We should also note that Solomos is considered a national poet in Greece, since he's also the author of the Hymn to Liberty, i.e. the lyrics of the national anthem of both Greece and Cyprus.