My Neighbor Leonard Cohen

[HelenOE]

I'd like to thank MarieM for hosting my translation of this article from the Spanish magazine Buensalvaje on Speaking Cohen. And yeah I'm plugging my own work, but I did it so that Leonard Cohen fans who don't read Spanish could enjoy the article as much as I did (well, almost as much, this is a translation after all).

[MarieM]

Thank you so much, Helen, for doing the translation and obtaining the permissions. It is an interesting piece touching on how intertwined Leonard's work is with Montreal. I think anyone who has ever visited the city and been a fan of Leonard's can feel Leonard's presence everywhere.

[HelenOE]

I received an email from Dr. Vergara, the author of the piece. He said,

Thank you very much for translating my piece! I'm honoured! I'm so happy I'll be able to share it with my english-speaking friends. You did more than justice!

Very gratifying!

I got permission beforehand from the magazine that published the piece in Spanish, but it's good to know that the actual author liked my effort to put his work into English.

[lizzytysh]

Oh my gosh! I thought this was something that was on its way... not already there!

I read your initial posting, Helen. Didn't click on the link because I thought that it would lead to the original Spanish article [for the benefit of those who can read Spanish, until the English got posted] and it would do me no good at all to look at pages filled with Spanish.

I read Marie's follow-up regarding your translation, and saw that she'd gotten to read it and presumed that these were preparatory comments for what would at some point appear, and wondered when we would be able to read it, as well.

Then, I read your comments, Helen... and decided to at least click on the link... that maybe[?] it was a link to the ENGLISH[?].

Well, the rest you know.

But, Helen, what a BEAUTIFUL translation! Not sure to whom to make this comment... to you, to him, or both... one or both of you ought to become a writer [if you're not already, Helen]... and, if you're not already, you ought to do translations. This piece is beautiful! Enjoyed all it said, as well as how it said it. Love his sensibilities, and his perspectives and anecdotes were great.

Beautifully conceived, beautifully written, beautifully re-written. It flows so beautifully. I understand the author's enthusiasm for the work you did with his work. Clearly a pleasure for you both and for us, as well.

I'm curious about the author now. Did he complete his doctoral thesis, or change arenas altogether? If he did complete it, is he practicing now in Boston?

Thanks for sharing this with us, Helen... and to Marie for putting it on her site, where I noticed it had been all along once I got there!


~ Lizzy

[HelenOE]

Thank you so much for your kind comments! I am a professional translator and interpreter, but I work in the criminal justice system and very little in the way of literary translation has come my way. This encourages me to tackle other projects that may turn up!

Yes, the author did complete his doctorate. He is in Boston now, apparently a post-doctoral scholar at Harvard. Alberto Vergara Paniagua

[lizzytysh]

All of what you've said certainly fits, Helen.
You certainly have a poetic, literary flair, that bodes well for your going on with confidence with other projects!
Hopefully, this will work to expand your opportunities.
Excellent work on this!

Interesting with his progress. Thanks for the link! I like that it's via the Trudeau Foundation.

[sereneava]

This forum is such a treasure trove. Thank you Helen for doing the work to let others read this article.

[mutti]

Thank you from me too Helen for translating this article and sharing it. I missed this in April.
A great read.
Leslie