Subject: Re: metre for hamlet

From: Nick NICHOLAS <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2001 12:46:34 -0700 (PDT)

I have indeed said that I would not look kindly on a prose translation of
Hamlet. I think that's taking the easy way out, and losing too much of the
ethos of the work.

That said, I don't think it's tenable to translate English pentameter into
Lojban pentameter. Lojban is a *lot* wordier than English, and it might be
argued that triple metres fits its natural rhythm better. (Triple metres
have doggerel associations in English, but that's neither here nor there.)
The result of translating English pentameter into Esperanto pentameter is
telegraphese; and Esperanto is nowhere near as prolix as Lojban can be.
(Yes, you could compact Lojban Inuit-style by making each sentence a
single lujvo; but I don't think even Michael would willingly do that.) You
may want to consider the Esperanto alexandrine (v/v/v/v v/v/v/v).

That said, yes, redundant terminators (and variant lujvo) are fair game.
Btw, nalmu'u .e lenu *cmecusku* ku, to scan.

But you want my brutishly honest opinion? Don't do a metrical translation.
At least, not yet. Get an entire act of Hamlet out in prose, and then come
back to it. My suspicion is, Hamlet and Lojban both being what they are,
you'll have trouble enough as is. If you want to be pure :-) , go to a
prose scene; no shortage of those.

-- 
== == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == ==
Upon completing His outburst, God fell silent, standing quietly at the
podium for several moments. Then, witnesses reported, God's shoulders
began to shake, and He wept.
[http://www.theonion.com/onion3734/god_clarifies_dont_kill.html]

Nick Nicholas. [email-masked] http://www.opoudjis.net