Poetry Translation Reflection - Ellerie

I have always thought that poetry would be the hardest thing to translate, so I found it interesting in these readings learning how translators actually try to translate poetry. Because poetry is so specific to the language it is written in, either due to metaphors or due to the feeling a certain word may have, I feel like it's impossible to get across the exact feeling of the poem into another language. But I also think that in the same way that the poem in written in a different language for different people to understand, it's okay for the meaning of the poem to also change slightly to accommodate those new people reading the poem. For example, Ame ni mo makezu has a slightly negative feeling in Japanese due to the use of the negative conjugation, but it works well in Japanese and with a Japanese audience that is more accustomed to subtlety in literature. In contrast, American readers would relate more with a more positive take on the poem, such as what is shown in the reading by Roger Pulvers. The different feelings of the original and translated poems allow the same message to reach many people through different interpretations.

I also found the idea of a hometown, or a furusato, being a language. I think that's a really pretty concept, especially for people who might not be able to speak in their native language often and can return to it like it is a hometown to visit occasionally. In the case of poetry, I feel like the best poetry will always be written best when it is one's native language because that is where people can connect with their emotions the best, in the same way that a hometown can provide comfort and security to those that return to it.