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)