Enjoying the Playful Poetry in First Person Singular

To continue from the previous post (sorry for the three-month interlude!), here are seven translations of a short fragment of the poem "Outfielders' Butts" from the Murakami story, "Yakult Swallows Poetry Collection." I want to thank fellow Murakami translators Elbrich Fennema, Ursula Gräfe, and Mette Holm for sending these to me!

The original poem again, to refresh your memory:  

    広島カープのシェーン　のお尻の形は
    どことなく考え深く、知性的だった。
    省察的だった、というべきだろうか。
    人々は彼をシェーンブラムと
    フルネームで呼ぶべきだった。
    たとえそのお尻に敬意を表するためだけでも。

Here is the English translation by Philip Gabriel again:
    The butt of the Hiroshima Carp's player Shane 
    Is deeply thoughtful, cerebral.
    Reflective, you might say. 
    People really should have called him by his full name,
    Scheinblum.
    If for nothing else, then to show respect for that one-of-
                                                                                      a-kind butt. 

Below is the German version by Ursula Gräfe, who said that she tried to give the lines a bit of a rhythm:
        Shane von den Hiroshima Carps
        hat ein Gesäß, so klug und weise,
        besinnlich könnte man es heißen.
        Scheinblum sollte man ihn rufen,
        Denn das ist sein wahrer Name.
        Und wenn nur als Hommage an seinen Hintern.

This is the Dutch version by Elbrich Fennema:                                                            
        De vorm van Shane's kont - van de Hiroshima Carps
        is diepzinnig en intellectueel.
        Misschien is bedachtzaam het goede woord?
        mensen zouden hem bij zijn volle naam
        moeten noemen: Scheinblum.
        Al was het maar uit eerbied voor zijn kont. 

And the Danish version by Mette Holm:
        Og Shane fra Hiroshima Carps 
        har tænksomme og intellektuelle baller.
        Ja, de er ligefrem meditative.
        Folk burde kalde ham Scheinblum,
        når det nu er hans navn,
        om ikke andet så for at vise hans baller respekt.

 

The two pictures below allow us to see Shane's butt as it might have appeared to Murakami (on the left in the left picture). 

 

 

Next follows the Norwegian version by Ika Kaminka:                                                            

        Baken til Shane på Hiroshima Carps
        har en form som er ettertenksom, klok og
        sjelegranskende, for å si det sånn.
        Folk burde bruke hele navnet hans,z
        Scheinblum,
        og vise respekt for denne rumpa.

 

and the Italian by Antonietta Pastore:

        La forma del sedere di Shein degli Hiroshima Carp
        Pensandoci bene
        Haqualcosa di intelligente.
        Anzi, dovrei dire di riflessivo.
        Avrebbero dovuto chiamarlo Scheinblum
        Col suo nome intero.                
        Anche solo per mostrare rispetto al suo sedere.

 

The last version is my own, Polish version:  

        Kształt tyłka Shane’a z Hiroshima Carps 

        jest jakby rozważny i inteligentny. 

        Może należałoby powiedzieć – refleksyjny. 

        Ludzie powinni byli używać 

        jego pełnego nazwiska – Scheinblum,

        choćby po to, by okazać szacunek temu tyłkowi.

 

One final image of "baseball butts" to bring up the rear!

 

 On another topic, I have missed the Korean translation, which appeared in November 2020 from Munhak Tongne. The translator is Hong Ŭnju. Usually the Korean version is the one appearing first after the publication of the book, but this time my Polish one beat if by a few days. Not that it is a race - I am just always impressed by how fast the Korean translators, editors, and publishers manage to get Murakami translatiions to Korean readers. Here is the very pretty cover (with no monkey! - or is it a monkey in the top left corner?).