Present by Frank O'Hara

Frank O’Hara reads his poem Present.

The stranded gulch                                                    여러 가닥으로 꼬인 협곡
below Grand Central                                                
the gentle purr of cab tires in snow                            
and hidden stars
tears on the windshield
torn inexorably away in whining motion                      흐느끼며 가차없이 찢겨나간
and the dark thoughts which surround neon

in Union Square I see you for a moment
red green yellow searchlights cutting through
falling flakes, head bent to the wind
wet and frowning, melancholy, trying

I know perfectly well where you walk to
and that we’ll meet in even greater darkness
later and will be warm.

so our cross
of paths will not be just muddy footprints
in the morning

not like celestial bodies’
yearly passes, nothing pushes us away
from each other

even now I can lean
forward across the square and see
your surprised grey look become greener
as I wipe the city’s moisture from
your face

and you shake the snow
off onto my shoulder, light as a breath
where the quarrels and vices of
estranged companions weighed so bitterly
and accidentally

before, I saw you on
the floor of my life walking slowly
that time in summer rain stranger and
nearer

to become a way of feeling
that is not painful casual or diffuse                    산만한
and seems to explore some peculiar insight
of the heavens for its favorite bodies
in the mixed-up air



-----------------------------------------------------------romantic. how easily he neutralizes the power/influence/leverage of the distance between them!

not easy to put down my thoughts in english. feel like an astray animal.

Frank O'hara from Mad Men S02E13

Thanks to this TV show, I met Frank O'hara.


Mayakovsky
By Frank O'Hara


1
My heart’s aflutter! 내 심장은 파르르 떨린다 
I am standing in the bath tub 난 욕조 안에 서서
crying. Mother, mother 울고 있어. 어머니, 어머니
who am I? If he 저는 누구죠? 만약 그가
will just come back once 한번만 돌아와서
and kiss me on the face 내 얼굴에 키스해주고
his coarse hair brush 그의 거친 머리카락이 쓰다듬으면
my temple, it’s throbbing! 내 관자놀이를, 가슴이 쿵쿵 뛴다.

then I can put on my clothes 그럼 난 내 옷을 입고
I guess, and walk the streets. 아마도, 나가 길을 걸을 수 있을 거야.

2
I love you. I love you, 사랑해, 사랑해
but I’m turning to my verses 하지만 난 내 시에게로 돌아서고
and my heart is closing 내 가슴은 닫혀
like a fist. 주먹처럼

Words! be 단어들아! 
sick as I am sick, swoon, 나처럼 아프고, 황홀케하라
roll back your eyes, a pool, 네 눈을 뒤로 굴려, a pool

and I’ll stare down 그리고 난 아래를 내려다 봐
at my wounded beauty 내 상처입은 아름다움을
which at best is only a talent 기껏해야 시를 위한 talent일 뿐인
for poetry.

Cannot please, cannot charm or win 기쁘게 하지도 못하고, 매혹하지도 얻지도 못하는
what a poet! 이 무슨 시인!
and the clear water is thick 그리고 맑은 물은 탁하구나

with bloody blows on its head. 머리에 피흐르는 타격으로
I embrace a cloud, 나는 구름을 안았다
but when I soared 하지만 내가 솟아 오를 때
it rained. 비가 왔어

3
That’s funny! there’s blood on my chest 웃기는군! 내 가슴에 피가 있어
oh yes, I’ve been carrying bricks 아 그래, 내가 계속 벽돌을 갖고 다녔거든
what a funny place to rupture! 파열하기 얼마나 웃인 장소야!
and now it is raining on the ailanthus  이제 ailanthus 나무에 비가 내리네
as I step out onto the window ledge 내가 창턱에 나섰더니.
the tracks below me are smoky and 내 뒤로 난 길은 연기가 자욱하고
glistening with a passion for running 달리려는 열정으로 빛이 나
I leap into the leaves, green like the sea 나는 바다처럼 푸른 잎 속으로 뛰어들어

4
Now I am quietly waiting for 난 이제 조용히 기다리고 있어
the catastrophe of my personality 나라는 사람의 파국이
to seem beautiful again, 다시 아름답게 보이도록
and interesting, and modern. 그리고 흥미롭게도, 그리고 모던하게도

The country is grey and 교외는 회색에
brown and white in trees, 갈색에, 흰색이야, 나무에도
snows and skies of laughter 눈에도, 웃어대는 하늘에도.
always diminishing, less funny 언제나 잦아드는 그 웃음, 덜 웃기고
not just darker, not just grey. 더 어둡지만도 않고, 그냥 회색이지만도 않은.

It may be the coldest day of 1년중 가장 추운 날일 거야
the year, what does he think of 그는 어떻게 생각한대?
that? I mean, what do I? And if I do, 그니까... 내가 어떻게 생각하지? 그리고 만약 내가 그렇다면
perhaps I am myself again. 아마도 난 다시 나이겠지.

Frank O’Hara, “Mayakovsky” from Meditations in an Emergency. Copyright ⓒ 1957 by Frank O’Hara. Reprinted by permission of Grove/Atlantic, Inc..

Source: Meditations in an Emergency (Grove/Atlantic Inc., 1996)




love 직역 :D

Sonnet 138 - Shakespeare

SONNET 138


When my love swears that she is made of truth
I do believe her, though I know she lies, 
That she might think me some untutor'd youth, 
Unlearned in the world's false subtleties. 
Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young, 
Although she knows my days are past the best, 
Simply I credit her false speaking tongue: 
On both sides thus is simple truth suppress'd. 
But wherefore says she not she is unjust? 
And wherefore say not I that I am old? 
O, love's best habit is in seeming trust, 
And age in love loves not to have years told: 
   Therefore I lie with her and she with me,
   And in our faults by lies we flatter'd be.

Notes from http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/138detail.html

In Sonnet 138 the poet candidly reveals both the nature of his relationship with the dark lady and the insecurities he has about growing older. Unlike his intense yet healthy love affair with the young man, the poet's fling with his mistress is (for now) uncomplicated and practical, fulfilling his most basic needs of both sexual pleasure and continual reassurance that he is still worthy of love despite his age. So emotionally detached is the poet from his mistress that he prefers simply to ignore her lying and adultery. The poet's glib indifference toward his mistress is startling, particularly when juxtaposed with his profound concern for the young man, who cannot even be the subject of a rival poet's work without rendering him "tongue-tied" and "faint" (Sonnet 80). The poet's feelings about his relationship with the dark lady intensify in the later sonnets (see Sonnet 147) and he finally must end the affair (see Sonnet 152) . 


The Sonnets as a whole show us that time is the poet's great nemesis and, although the dominant theme in Sonnet 138 is the comfort that lies bring to an insecure mind, a discourse on the ravages of time is once again present. A variation of Sonnet 138 was originally included in The Passionate Pilgrim (1599), along with Sonnet 144. There are minor differences between the two poems and for those who wish to do a comparison of the two I reprint it here:

WHEN my love swears that she is made of truth,
I do believe her, though I know she lies,
That she might think me some untutor'd youth,
Unskilful in the world's false forgeries.
Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young,
Although I know my years be past the best,
I smiling credit her false-speaking tongue,
Outfacing faults in love with love's ill rest.
But wherefore says my love that she is young?
And wherefore say not I that I am old?
O, love's best habit is a soothing tongue,
And age, in love, loves not to have years told.
Therefore I'll lie with love, and love with me,
Since that our faults in love thus smother'd be.

lies (2): meaning both "tells lies" and "lies (has sex) with other men."

That (3): So that.

vainly (5): wrongly.

Simply (7): i.e., Like a simpleton.

credit (7): believe.

wherefore (9): why.

unjust (9): dishonest (about her fidelity).

habit (11): guise.

age in love (12): older lovers.

Therefore I lie...me (13): Notice again the double meaning of lie. The line can also be interpreted as "That is why I sleep with her and she with me."