(A work translated into French in a frenzy in the early ’90s. Never offered for publication but personally meaningful.)
In one night around 1991, I decided to translate Charles Fuller’s A Soldier’s Play into French.
It was part experiment, part adrenaline, part personal challenge, and big part being truly touched and profoundly affected. And thinking to really make it available.
I never submitted it for publication though. And in a weird way, that was part of my relationship to it. Redone in ‘my’ other language. (And that also meant I didn’t need to edit or update or what have you!)
It wasn’t the point, in some strange way, to publish. Meant to be… done/not. A Soldier’s Play… not… done…
And it stands, this literal Play, as a ‘play’ on all the translations unfinished, not- or un-done, purposely and perhaps happily abandoned, launched but only for exploration’s sake… A solider, yes, a soldier’s… extensive and eternal play with translation…