A Poem

On Thursday we had our first writing group. The assignment was to translate a poem from a language we didn't know into English. I chose Catalan. I took the first paragraph of Kafka's Metamorphosis, and starting with the last word and working my way backwards I wrote each word out in list form. Afterwards, I "translated" each word into an English word that sounded similar. Then I created a poem using my English words in the order that they appeared in the original Catalan (cheating a little):

Quan, un matí, Gregor Samsa va despertar-se d´uns somnis neguitosos, es va trobar al llit transformat en un insecte monstruós. Jeia damunt l´esquena dura, com una cloaca, i, si aixecava una ica el cap, es veia la panxa de color fosc, segmentada per estreps arquejats, com una volta, tan prominent que el cobrellit, a punt de relliscar del tot, amb proa feines
s´aguantava. Les cames, molt nombroses i dolorosament primes en comparació amb la grandària habitual de Samsa,
s´agitaven indefenses davant els sues ulls.

The Metamorphosis

When undone martyr, Gregor Samsa
vain, desperate,
says dunce psalms
negotiations end in vain
trouble ails yet
transforms into an insect
monstrous, jeer-damned.

The skin endures
comes under cluster
eye sees an ice cave under mica
or else ´scapes via land
pants the color of fossil segment per strip
as architect comes under voltage,
tan prominent,
queer eel cove yet appointed.

They relinquish the deal
that and proud feigned sadness,
wanting ever less games
they moult their numerous eyes dull
or owe cement primers in comparison.

And lad,
grandiose, habitual, the Samsa,
sags it.

Even in defense of deviance
else sows else.