Detours and Destination: Liham ni Pinay Mula sa Hongkong in Translation

August 31, 2024

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By comparing the source text (ST) and the translated text (TT), this paper revealed the strategies used and the predispositions in translating the Filipino poem “Liham ni Pinay mula sa Hongkong” in English. The focus was particularly set on the nuances of the poem where discourse creation, borrowing, literal translation, variation, and amplification were observed. These translation strategies caused the TT to diverge from the literary style of the ST but preserved the fundamental content of the text. The findings suggest that in producing the TT, priority was given to the meaning rather than the structure for its message to reach its target audience. Thus, although “Liham ni Pinay mula sa Hongkong” encountered some linguistic detours, its message successfully arrived at its destination.

This paper is an attempt to identify the techniques (Molina & Albir, 2016)ⁱused in translating the Filipino poem Liham ni Pinay mula sa Hongkong into English. Kolahi (2012)ⁱⁱargues that translating poems involves a choice between content and form and, more often than not, one is prioritized over the other. Thus, this paper also examines the tensions and predispositions in carrying out the translation.

The ways in which the source text (ST) and the translated text (TT) are read in this paper are drawn from Garcia’sⁱⁱⁱ(2005) essay, “How to Teach a Poem”, which elaborately suggests putting emphasis on sound, image, and story. Sounds are built upon the formal qualities of a poem; images emerge from its striking features; and the story is revealed in the construal of the poem’s meaning.

https://www.bpsu.edu.ph/index.php/component/jdownloads/send/840-volume2issue1-updated2-0/4097-2103-2024