the hammer by Adelaide Ivánova
Featuring: Adelaide Ivánova, Rachel Long, Francisco Vilhena
Translated by Rachel Long and Francisco Vilhena.
This is one of two poems titled 'the hammer' in Adelaide Ivánova's World Poets Series collection the hammer and other poems. This poem shows the great breadth of Adelaide's references, from the mating rituals of hammerhead sharks to reports that when a Pope dies a senior member of the Vatican staff strikes him on the forehead with a silver hammer to make sure he isn't just sleeping.
Also, in this recording, you can hear the contrast between how Adelaide Ivánova reads the original text, with a quick, unhalting delivery and Rachel Long's slower, more deliberate reading of her translation.
You can buy a copy of the hammer and other poems from our online shop.
This is part of our new rebranded weekly release: the Dual Poetry Podcast, one poem in two languages from the Poetry Translation Centre. As ever we will be releasing a translated poem each week.
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