This week’s poem is ‘Far-Off Settlements’ by Coral Bracho from Mexico. The poem is read first in English translation by Katherine Pierpoint and then in Spanish by Coral herself.
Coral Bracho came to England for the inaugural World Poets’ Tour in 2005 and read with her poet-translator Katherine Pierpoint. The Guardian journalist Richar Lea asked Pierpoint how she has found the process of working with the PTC. ‘She was quick to stress the help she had from Dr Tom Boll, who gave her literal translations of the Spanish originals. “This three-way process of working in a team has been particularly rewarding,” she says, though she did sometimes have doubts about the project. “There are times when you ask yourself whether you’re just translating the content of the poem and not the value.”She sees the role of a translator as conveying the essence of an original. “It’s Coral’s party,” she says, “you’re just there as a channel.” ‘
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