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Apr 13, 2022Liked by Caitlin Cowan

Is D-V obscure among readers of French poetry, or do you mean among readers of poetry in English translation? If the latter, I would think all French poets are obscure in the sense that readers don’t have an aural connection to them. Although Simpson’s translation is quite readable and he preserves the rhyme, it probably doesn’t have the sonic impact of the original.

I had subtitles turned on for this episode. During the D-V recitation, it didn’t show the French or an English translation, just (RECITING POEM IN FRENCH). Similar to how they did the Spanish in the new West Side Story. Not helpful at all.

Knowing the meaning of this poem, even a gloss, would help explain Layla’s and Steven’s relationship. I wonder if on the big screen (or on Netflix), it would have been subtitled. Might be something to explore here in a future column, the whole translation / dubbing / subtitle dilemma, both for screen and page.

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