Comments on: Drunken Boats by Alan Jenkins http://carpelibrisreviews.com/drunken-boats-by-alan-jenkins/ Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:57:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: paul stubbs http://carpelibrisreviews.com/drunken-boats-by-alan-jenkins/comment-page-1/#comment-28573 paul stubbs Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:03:53 +0000 http://carpelibrisreviews.com/?p=126#comment-28573 Having read this translation by the English Poet Alan Jenkins i can only conclude that the blurbs and descriptions of his 'Drunken Boat' have been written by his mother. The Poet himself, a lightweight and insipid practioner of the poetic craft, has produced a 'version' that would have infuriated Rimbaud beyond anger. Having also spoken to many French translators in Paris they also are at a loss as to how such a terrible thing could possibly be praised, yet of course it has been? The publishers of this series will of course tell us that they were not looking for a translation but a poetical 'interpretation' of the said work; but alas, the poet has come up with neither, and has given us a truly shabby version, that never recalls or reimagines the brillance of the original, or adds anything new to the already bulging conveyor-belt of existing translations. Having read this translation by the English Poet Alan Jenkins i can only conclude that the blurbs and descriptions of his ‘Drunken Boat’ have been written by his mother. The Poet himself, a lightweight and insipid practioner of the poetic craft, has produced a ‘version’ that would have infuriated Rimbaud beyond anger. Having also spoken to many French translators in Paris they also are at a loss as to how such a terrible thing could possibly be praised, yet of course it has been? The publishers of this series will of course tell us that they were not looking for a translation but a poetical ‘interpretation’ of the said work; but alas, the poet has come up with neither, and has given us a truly shabby version, that never recalls or reimagines the brillance of the original, or adds anything new to the already bulging conveyor-belt of existing translations.

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