Olivier Cousin on Klara

Although the Breton Language looses ten thousands of speakers every year, Breton poetry is alive and interesting. Olivier Cousin was representing them at our Small Festival of European Art of Poetry., last September. When he and Bart Stouten met it was as if two long lost brothers met and found each other. They obviously share a poetic sensitivity. So Bart had a wonderful program in The Garden of Eden on Klara with Olivier, read the dutch translations of Paul Gellings and interviewed Olivier about poetry in Breton and the regional poets. The music was wonderful and the program was sensitive and interesting.

Wat follows is poem with pars in Breton which will be published in Sounds of Harbor II

Au port du bout du monde

Au dernier bout de la terre

le port sourit au large

demi-cercle d’une blancheur ternie

evel bannieloù ouzh ar wern

Le port comprend toutes les vies

accepte toutes les devises

parle toutes les langues

Même s’il malmène toutes les grammaires

il conjugue tous les verbes

pas uniquement partir ou arriver

C’hoantoù mont kuit

o vont hag o tont

stag ouzh ma huñvreoù

evel bannieloù ouzh ar wern

Le port déploie le filet des rêves

au-delà des crachins et des brumes

oubliant tous les moutons sur la lande

 *

  In the harbor at land's end        

At the last parcel of land                                   

the harbor smiles at the open sea

half circle of a dulled white

evel bannieloù ouzh ar wern

The harbor comprehends all lives           

accepts all currencies                                   

speaks all languages

Even though it manhandles all grammars                       

it declines all verbs

not only to leave or to arrive

C’hoantoù mont kuit

o vont hag o tont

stag ouzh ma huñvreoù

evel bannieloù ouzh ar wern

The harbor unfolds the dream net

beyond drizzle and sea mist               

all sheep left behind on the moors

(Traduite en français, la strophe en breton pourrait se lire  :

Des envies de départ

vont et viennent

attachées à mes rêves

comme des drapeaux sur le mât)

Olivier Cousin, Bretton Poet on Belgian radio

When at the Small Festival of European Poetry Olivier Cousin and Bart Stouten met, it felt as if two long lost brothers found each other. Tonight on radio Klara in De Tuin van Eden, Bart will in his unique way present some of the poetry of Olivier as translated into Dutch by Paul Gellings. The music too will be great. 7pm till 8pm:
if you have to miss it tonight you can find it  for a while in 'herbeluisteren'.

I am sharing a poem from Sounds of Harbor II in French and English

sms:foto duisburg 2010

 Rêve blanc

Départ demain pour Arkhangelsk

sans collision ni tâtonnements

Je saurai éviter le bois flotté

pour atteindre le port de l’archange blanc

Une belle blonde m’y attend

Pour briser la glace

une bière blanche au soleil de la nuit

Le poète cherche son âme dans chaque port

sa forme, une étoile à sept branches

J’ai le mal de mer

mes roubles n’ont plus cours aujourd’hui

je suis marié

mes illusions poétiques ne valent pas un kopeck

Arkhangelsk m’attendra

*

  White dream

Departure tomorrow for Arkhangelsk

without collisions or hesitations

I'll know how to avoid the driftwood

to reach the harbor of the white archangel                       

A pretty blonde waits for me there                                               

To break the ice

a white beer in the night's sun

The poet looks for his soul in every port

Its form, a seven pointed star

I am seasick

there is no exchange rate for my roubles today

I am married

my poetic illusions aren't worth a kopeck

Arkhangelsk will wait for me

  English: Annmarie Sauer