Balam Rodrigo: Selected Poems

Abstract

SPAN 3340: INTRODUCTION TO TRANSLATION Balam Rodrigo’s Poetry Translation and Public Reading Balam Rodrigo is a major figure in the Mexican literary circle and he has published over ten books of poetry. His work has been anthologized in several collections of poetry, including national anthologies published by the prestigious Fondo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes ( The National Fund for Culture and Arts) and the National Autonomous University of Mexico Press, as well as various international publications in Brazil, Portugal, Guatemala, and Colombia . His poetry has won the most prestigious Mexican and international prizes. As a poet and educator, Balam Rodrigo coordinates art workshops at regional cultural centers throughout Mexico. Last Fall, it was a privilege to have at UTA such an amazing poet and to be able to organize a bilingual poetry reading for UTA students and members of the Latino community of North Texas. Students in SPAN 3340, Introduction to Translation, worked for two weeks in the translation of a selection of Balam’s poetry. They worked in groups and I provided them with the poems to be translated into English. They had to turn in a first version of each poem that was corrected in class and then they turned in a second version of their translation. Balam visited my class two days before the reading and students had the opportunity not only to meet this magnificent poet, but also to talk to him about his poetry and their own translations. Students in SPAN 3340 volunteered to read in English their own translation work. For many of them, this was the first time they attended a poetry reading or translated poetry in general. The Bilingual Poetry Reading was co-sponsored by the Center for Mexican American Studies and the Department of Modern Languages. The reading was in Spanish followed by English translation. The Q&A was also in both English and Spanish. It was an amazing experience and I would like to take this opportunity to thank my students for their extraordinary job. Dr. Alicia Rueda-Acedo