their - The University of Texas at Dallas

è qui is here (3)
è ricca d’itinerari is rich with itineraries (11)
e porta alla scoperta and leads one to discover (12)
che feriscono that cause injuries (20)
come un boomerang like a boomerang (21)
The choice to stray from a literal rendition of line
12 (“and leads to the discovery”) was dictated by a
conscious desire to avoid associating the terms
“itineraries” and “discovery” through assonance, since
Bruck’s poem clearly links the noun “scoperta” with
“vita,” the Italian word for “life” (13).
The use of italics in line 15 was intended to
emphasize the positive nature of the guarantee that
“there will be some bread.” The structure of the Italian
phrase “del pane ci sarà” carries an implied meaning
that cannot be communicated in English by simply
rearranging the logical order of the clause. Normally,
one would say “ci sarà del pane” (literally, “there will
be some bread”), unless the statement was designed as
a rebuttal or confirmation of a fact. The connotation
hidden within the text is that the speaker had
previously doubted or denied the availability of bread,
a generic symbol for food and nourishment. In
English, one would commonly stress this availability
verbally (there WILL be some bread), but for the
purpose of transferring this emphasis onto the page a
visual cue was essential.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of any
translation is the inevitable alteration of the features or
the original text. The poem in question is no
exception, as it loses certain phonetic and
orthographical features while gaining others. In terms
of assonance, the first two lines (Tutto quello che ho /
tutto quello che ho voluto) lost the repetition of the O
and U vowel sounds in favor of the vowel A (All that
I have / all that I have wanted). Lines 5, 6, and 7 have
maintained the repeated use of the vowel O with
minimal variation, but the same cannot be said for the
insistence on the vowel A shown in lines 12, 13, and
14 of the original (e porta alla scoperta / che la vita è
vita / anche da soli). In terms of consonance, the
repetition of the T sound in lines 12 and 13 has been
lost, as well as the marked recurrence of the consonant
C in the three final lines of the poem (con atti
vendicativi / che feriscono / come un boomerang). In
turn, three other lines (17, 18, and 19) are now
associated through alliteration (where you now have a
place / without betraying yourself / with vindictive
acts). The unexpected result of this alliteration is that
the final couplet of the poem is now phonically
detached from the preceding tercet. On a textual level,
one could say that the consequences of the “vindictive
acts” mentioned in the poem are now standing alone,
emphasized because of the new linguistic shell they
inhabit. In conclusion, it is important to remember that
many poetic texts do not allow for a single, perfect
translation but rather lend themselves to many
different interpretations based on the understanding of
the individual translator. The text analyzed here is
merely one of many possible renditions of the poem
“Solo solo solo,” one that aims primarily to stay true
to the originally intended meaning.
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