Counterpoint the Surrealism of the underlying metaphor
I got this request from my very good friend, as follows:
I am studying for a BA in Illustration at the Cambridge School of Art, and I am writing an essay about Russian artists' books. I am particularly interested in A Duck's Nest of Bad Words by A Kruchenykh (illustrated by Olga Rozanova). If anyone knows of a translation of this poem(s?) into English I would be eternally grateful. Parts may be in Kruchenykh's Zaum "transrational launguage", but even being certain of that would be helpful!
Here is a link to images of the book. As you can see it is handwritten, which doesn't make things any easier.
http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=9245
I'd say your friend is facing a combination of 2 problems:
1. The book is written on "old" Russian, a language which was in use 100 years ago, thus quite a few words differ from what you'd expect in modern Russian.
2. It is poetry, but not exactly Pushkin, which makes it quite difficult to follow.
The transrational effect is to some degree caused by the above really.
I think your friend probably needs help of someone researching this subject, I kind of feel "under qualified".
I don't think I know any other native Russian speakers, let alone ones of a poetical bent who would be prepared to have a go at this - it's pretty short in its obscurity, and any information would be helpful at this point. We've already tried much Googling and Cambridge University library - and now she's trying the University Russian Society forum.
So I'm asking the internet, because it's worth a try - I'm sure I am within six degrees of Kevin Bacon of someone who could answer this fairly easily, I just don't know which friend of a friend of a friend to ask, and some of you, at least, might be as amused as I was by the mere existence of the question.
I am studying for a BA in Illustration at the Cambridge School of Art, and I am writing an essay about Russian artists' books. I am particularly interested in A Duck's Nest of Bad Words by A Kruchenykh (illustrated by Olga Rozanova). If anyone knows of a translation of this poem(s?) into English I would be eternally grateful. Parts may be in Kruchenykh's Zaum "transrational launguage", but even being certain of that would be helpful!
Here is a link to images of the book. As you can see it is handwritten, which doesn't make things any easier.
http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=9245
I'd say your friend is facing a combination of 2 problems:
1. The book is written on "old" Russian, a language which was in use 100 years ago, thus quite a few words differ from what you'd expect in modern Russian.
2. It is poetry, but not exactly Pushkin, which makes it quite difficult to follow.
The transrational effect is to some degree caused by the above really.
I think your friend probably needs help of someone researching this subject, I kind of feel "under qualified".
I don't think I know any other native Russian speakers, let alone ones of a poetical bent who would be prepared to have a go at this - it's pretty short in its obscurity, and any information would be helpful at this point. We've already tried much Googling and Cambridge University library - and now she's trying the University Russian Society forum.
So I'm asking the internet, because it's worth a try - I'm sure I am within six degrees of Kevin Bacon of someone who could answer this fairly easily, I just don't know which friend of a friend of a friend to ask, and some of you, at least, might be as amused as I was by the mere existence of the question.