The Man Who Dreams of Leonard Cohen

[HelenOE]

This is NOT my poem. I just came across it and translated it. The author is Jose Ángel González from Spain. The original poem, in Spanish, is at the link.

The man who dreams of Leonard Cohen
9/13/2013




the man who dreams of Leonard Cohen
can say hallelujah in several languages
admires the elemental clothes of the nomads
is willing to vindicate the calvary of concealment

the man who dreams of Leonard Cohen
knew you before you were born
thought of you while naming Lorca
thought of you while reading the Torah

the man who dreams of Leonard Cohen
vanishes in the sigh
for the absent children
the boys he left

the man who dreams of Leonard Cohen
seeks evidence against the calendar
on the charge of violating
the scripture of the hands

the man who dreams of Leonard Cohen
was a partisan in a hotel at war
because rented rooms too
need to be liberated

the man who dreams of Leonard Cohen
burned his knees with vodka
to knit a handkerchief
of fiery flesh

the man who dreams of Leonard Cohen is
in love with the woman who dreams of Björk ***

[Leonard Cohen. Elegance always wears black.]- See more at:

http://joseangelgonzalez.com/leonard-co ... 5aP0N.dpuf

[lizzytysh]

WoW. I love this poem, Helen!
The concepts and imagery, and your well-chosen, highly-descriptive word choices.
Some lines are so Leonard-like in their mystery and imaginative ways. Here are a couple choices at the end, with others preceding them and that could have been quoted, as well:

because rented rooms too
need to be liberated

and

burned his knees with vodka
to knit a handkerchief
of fiery flesh

Now, I wonder... who do I credit, the writer or you in your own choosings of how best to express him.
Perfect photo choice that was made for this poem, too... Leonard walking out of a dark room and into white light, seeing him only in shadow. Very dreamlike.

Thanks so much for sharing this... and for taking such care to translate it.
Ha. LOVE "the woman who dreams of Bjork" ending, too.

Very imaginative way to write a poem honouring Leonard.
Brilliant.

Thanks, again, Helen.
Love your vocabulary

[HelenOE]

Thank you, Lizzy! I contacted the poet to tell him I'd translated his poem (on the principle that it's easier to get forgiveness than permission ) and he was kind enough to say that he was "100% satisfied" with my version. I tried to stick as closely in meaning to the original as I could, which of course is much easier when it's free verse and you don't have to worry about meter or rhyme.

[lizzytysh]

Aha! "100% satisfied" I sure understand that!
If he ever decides to do an English translation of any other free verse, he needs to contact you first... I can see where the rhyme issue could be problematical... [but bet you could handle it, if you really wanted to].