Sunday, August 17, 2008

Poetry Readings V: Lispector's Dangerous Clarity





Scouring Youtube for a recitation of Clarice Lispector 's A dangerous Clarity I found these two videos. Which one to choose? The first one energetic, vigorous, almost dry, the second more intimistic, introspective, refleshingly humid. I feel a tad like Buridan's ass. Well, there is a way out: I shall not choose. They are both right. A poem, a real one, has many identities, it supports an almost endless number of interpretations. A poem is reborn each time is recited. Always the same, always different.

Hear the voice of the most dangerous clarity.


A Lucidez Perigosa

Estou sentindo uma clareza tão grande
que me anula como pessoa atual e comum:
é uma lucidez vazia, como explicar?
Assim como um cálculo matemático perfeito
do qual, no entanto, não se precise.
Estou por assim dizer
vendo claramente o vazio.
E nem entendo aquilo que entendo:
pois estou infinitamente maior que eu mesma,
e não me alcanço.
Além do que:
que faço dessa lucidez?
Sei também que esta minha lucidez
pode-se tornar o inferno humano
- já me aconteceu antes.
Pois sei que
- em termos de nossa diária
e permanente acomodação
resignada à irrealidade -
essa clareza de realidade
é um risco.
Apagai, pois, minha flama, Deus,
porque ela não me serve para viver os dias.
Ajudai-me a de novo consistir
dos modos possíveis.
Eu consisto,
eu consisto,
amém.

my translation:

The Dangerous Lucidity

I am feeling a clarity so great
that erases me as a real and common person:
it is an empty clarity, how to explain?
like a perfect mathematical calculation
which, however, is not needed.
I am as, it were,
seeing clearly the void.
Nor do I understand what I see
for I am infinitely greater than me
and I do not reach myself.
Besides:
what do I do with this clarity?
I also know that this clarity of mine
can turn into a human hell
- it happened to me already-
Thus I know that
- in terms of our daily
and permanent arrangements
resigned to unreality-
this clarity of reality
is a risk.
Quench, God, my flame
for it doesn't help me to live the days.
Help me to consist
of the possible modes.
I consist,
I consist,
amen.


6 comments:

Sah Elizabeth said...

The writing of Clarice is very intuitive, introspective (again the word). She feels to write... I like more the first video, with water...
The clarity is dangerous.

She also said:
"I am afraid to write. It's so dangerous. Who tried to, you know. Danger of dealing in what is hidden - and the world is not afloat, is hidden in their roots submerged in the sea depths"

Polymathicus said...

Thanks! Yes, the world is indeed hidden in those roots submerged in the sea depths. But knowledge is for the brave of heart, for the one who is not afraid to face the dark depths....

Anonymous said...

A friend of mine pointed out this blog as an example of a guy who just takes obscure nonsense that has no connection to anything and writes a little about it. There is
nothing here that can not be found in a wiki article. May I ask, what do you intend to accomplish here? Do you have a counter to determine how many people have read your blog? Why not put the counter on the page?

Polymathicus said...

Dear anonymous, to begin with you should at the very least identify yourself. Just good manners, you know...

Secondly, you can tell "this friend of yours" that he/she would find something here (and so would you) if he/she had enough brain power to READ what I write.

At all events, my blog does have a counter, with sitemeter, and is not very popular. I am happy to say that, I do not want it to be "popular", just have a few dedicated readers who, unlike your friend and you do appreciate its high quality. And, praise the Lord, I do.

Cheers PolyMathicus

PS Talking of content, search for perezhivanie on the net, and you''ll find one of my posts quoted in several forums of theatre folks. They, unlike u, can taste good mental food...

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