This question was closed without grading. Reason: No acceptable answer
Feb 2, 2019 15:58
5 yrs ago
Portuguese term
United States
BA in Transl., MA in ESL, 15 yrs of exp.
Native in: Portuguese 
Works in: English to Portuguese, Portuguese to English, Spanish to Portuguese, and 2 more.
mas fica sempre
Portuguese to English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
Fernando Pessoa
I'm not sure I understood what Fernando Pessoa is referring to by this phrase. Does he mean "change" or is it a reference to "ficar feliz"? Or maybe something else? Ficar means much more than just stay, remain or get. Considering the poem as a whole and my translation of the third stanza, I think a literal translation wouldn't make sense.
Bem, hoje que estou só e posso ver
Com o poder de ver do coração
Quanto não sou, quanto não posso ser,
Quanto, se o for, serei em vão,
Hoje, vou confessar, quero sentir-me
Definitivamente ser ninguém,
E de mim mesmo, altivo, demitir-me
Por não ter procedido bem.
Falhei a tudo, mas sem galhardias,
Nada fui, nada ousei e nada fiz,
Nem colhi nas ortigas dos meus dias
A flor de parecer feliz.
Mas fica sempre porque o pobre é rico
Em qualquer coisa, se procurar bem,
A grande indiferença com que fico.
Escrevo-o para o lembrar bem.
Ficar: https://dicionario.priberam.org/ficar
Here's the translation of stanza #3:
I failed in everything, yet without bravery,
I was nothing, risked nothing, did nothing,
Nor did I pick in my life’s stinging nettle
The gentle flower of happy blooming.
I couldn't figure out how to rhyme lines 1 and 3 above. If you have an idea, I appreciate if you could include it in your answer. Thanks!
Bem, hoje que estou só e posso ver
Com o poder de ver do coração
Quanto não sou, quanto não posso ser,
Quanto, se o for, serei em vão,
Hoje, vou confessar, quero sentir-me
Definitivamente ser ninguém,
E de mim mesmo, altivo, demitir-me
Por não ter procedido bem.
Falhei a tudo, mas sem galhardias,
Nada fui, nada ousei e nada fiz,
Nem colhi nas ortigas dos meus dias
A flor de parecer feliz.
Mas fica sempre porque o pobre é rico
Em qualquer coisa, se procurar bem,
A grande indiferença com que fico.
Escrevo-o para o lembrar bem.
Ficar: https://dicionario.priberam.org/ficar
Here's the translation of stanza #3:
I failed in everything, yet without bravery,
I was nothing, risked nothing, did nothing,
Nor did I pick in my life’s stinging nettle
The gentle flower of happy blooming.
I couldn't figure out how to rhyme lines 1 and 3 above. If you have an idea, I appreciate if you could include it in your answer. Thanks!
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 | but the truth is |
Katarina Peters
|
| 3 | (the big difference) however, always remains |
Mario Freitas
|
Proposed translations
34 mins
Katarina Peters
Canada
Canada
Native in English
Specializes in field
Canada
Accuracy and A1 presentation
Native in: Hungarian 
, English (Variant: US)
Works in: English to Portuguese, Portuguese to English, Hungarian to English, and 13 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
76
but the truth is
in this context (insterad of the literal "but it always remains")
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Note added at 35 mins (2019-02-02 16:34:00 GMT)
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ooops... I meant "instead"
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Note added at 1 hr (2019-02-02 17:53:22 GMT)
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Wouldn't "always" be redundant here?
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 35 mins (2019-02-02 16:34:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
ooops... I meant "instead"
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2019-02-02 17:53:22 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Wouldn't "always" be redundant here?
Note from asker:
| Thank you. How would this translation relate to "fico" on line 3? In the original the two instances of "ficar" seem to be related somehow. Also, How would "sempre" fit in? |
11 hrs
Mario Freitas
Brazil
Brazil
Native in Portuguese
&
English
Brazil
32 years engineering/law/contracts
Native in: English (Variant: US) , Portuguese (Variant: Brazilian)
Works in: English to Portuguese, Portuguese to English
Related KudoZ points
:
38
(the big difference) however, always remains
Fica sempre refere-se à grande diferença.
Discussion
"But it always remains as to why the poor is rich*
In every single thing, if you look closely,
The big indifference in which I remain.
I write it so it’s remembered clearly."
* The poet probably means, "the question always remains as to why the poor is rich". Most likely, this phrase ("the poor is rich") comes from one of the quotes by Saint Augustine. (TN)
This indifference will surely be remembered. I recall reading another poem in which I was struck by this:
"What desperate angst!
What grief with a taste of death!
If the ship was abandoned,
And the beggar fell on the street —
Leave them alone, don't care less."
In another poem, by Alberto Caeiro, he suggests that humanity should have the "natural selfishness of the flowers" and in doing so, there would be no suffering in the world. "All suffering", he adds, "comes from us worrying about one another."
I think I'm pretty much settled on this one. Thank you, Katarina. And thank you, Lara.
"he/she is picking ON me"
"I picked the flower that was IN my life's stinging nettle"
"I picked him/her UP"
etc. etc.
I think this is a strong possibility. In a poem by Álvaro de Campos, Pessoa also makes a reference to St. Augustine: https://books.google.com/books?id=w7_O5QmBb7YC&pg=PA197&lpg=...
With that in mind, a new interpretation occurred to me. It could be, "Mas fica sempre [a pergunta] porque o pobre é rico / Em qualquer coisa". If this is correct, I guess "remain" or "linger" would be the way to go. I'm now leaning towards this interpretation.
You can say "pick from", (eg. Pick from a collection of xxx), but in English you cannot just attribute prepositions where you want to. Each verb uses its own prepositions and often these cannot be varied without sounding clumsy.
http://www.englishessaywritingtips.com/2011/10/prepositions-...
Re the rhyming: how about "never embattled", although your "yet without battles" sounds good.
One has to read poetry the proper way...
Nor did I pick IN my life’s stinging nettle.
Don't you just mean "pick my life's st...." ?