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de motozásomra, as the sun barges through
The evolving complexity of this sun imagery through various poems can be seen in the final four lines of “Alvás elött” (Before Sleep).
But now she wakes, disturbed by my puttering, and she
shines so bright, as she sheds her weightless dreams, that she
is like a fairy sprite on our dozing flowers as the sun
barges through our humble window to set her aflame.
ex Miklós Radnóti, The Complete Poetry in Hungarian and English (Gabor Barabas, trans. 2014) : 24 : link
The above passage was the original landing for this instance of putterings (8 December 2023). The full poem and translation were not accessible then.
I have not sought permission to copy the translation, but it (and the full Hungarian original) seem to be available now : 96 : link
The Hungarian text is :
Alvas előtt
A dinnye húsát már belehelte az ősz,
nem harsan késem jó éle nyomán, csak bölcs
szavakat ejteget s szelíden reped el,
de a szilvák arany ölén még feszesen
ül a mag ! ó, ének dícsérjen két gyümölcs,
olcsó vacsorák dísze, kilós eledel!
És ének dícsérjen szegényt etető nyár,
asztalomon maradékod : száraz magok,
kis halom gyümölcs, már kukaccal ékesen,
de új gyümölccsel jő a hűvösujju ősz,
ázott hajában hét halott bogár ragyog
és lopva osztogat, nem hallik lépte sem.
(Mig én gyümölccsel és verssel bíbelődöm,
addig asszonyom elaludt heverőjén,
szertehagyva esti tettei dús sorát:
angol nyelvkönyv, hajának csattja, hűs tea.
De motozásomra úgy ébred és ragyog
s úgy vetkezi álmát, mint gyermeki tündér,
vagy alvó virágunk, ha az ablakon át
rásüt a betolongó, déli verőfény.)
1935. szeptember 22.
—
“Puttering” is not among the first and secondary renderings of the DeepL translation engine for the word “motozásomra” in context of the poem; in addition to “searching,” one is presented with :
frisking, paging, poking... patting... mousing
The translator’s choice labors to suggest the inconsequentiality of the poet’s labors (preoccupied with fruit and the poem at hand), relative to his love’s (and the sunlight’s) beauty.
Why do I dwell on this?
- I want to honor bookseller Paul Robertson, who years ago gave me a copy of Miklós Radnóti, A Wiser, More Beautiful Death, containing the poet’s final poems — written in horrific circumstances — translated by Solomon Rino. Published by Editions Michael Eyquem (2011), the slim volume was beautifully designed by Dennis Letbetter “in consultation with Jack W. Stauffacher.”
Thank you, Paul, wherever you are. - It is an opportunity to point to the wonderful, long-running blog Poemas del Río Wang, and specifically three posts (from 2010) concerned with Miklós Radnoti —
Fragment : link
Unpublished : link and
The Bor Notebook : link; and another (from 2012) —
Recognition : link,
pointing to the webpage of a commemorative exhibition at the Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (in 2009, and which seems to be frozen in time) : link - and there is Radnoti’s poetry.
Miklós Radnóti (1909-44)
wikipedia : link