Billy Collins: Everyday moments, caught in time

Translator: Erika Vojtkova Reviewer: Terézia Turčanová

I'm here to give you

Billy Collins: Som tu preto, aby som vám dal

your recommended dietary allowance

vašu odporúčanú dennú dávku

of poetry.

poézie.

And the way I'm going to do that

A urobím to tak,

is present to you

že vám odprezentujem

five animations

päť animácií

of five of my poems.

piatich mojich básní.

And let me just tell you a little bit of how that came about.

Najprv mi dovoľte povedať vám, ako k tomu došlo.

Because the mixing of those two media

Pretože kombinovanie týchto dvoch médií

is a sort of unnatural or unnecessary act.

je tak trochu neprirodzené a nepotrebné.

But when I was United States Poet Laureate --

Ale keď som bol Národným básnikom Spojených štátov -

and I love saying that.

milujem, keď to môžem povedať.

(Laughter)

(Smiech)

It's a great way to start sentences.

Je to skvelý spôsob, ako začať vety.

When I was him back then,

Keď som ním vtedy bol,

I was approached by J. Walter Thompson, the ad company,

oslovila ma reklamná spoločnosť J. Walter Thompson,

and they were hired

ktorá bola svojím spôsobom najatá

sort of by the Sundance Channel.

Sundance Channel.

And the idea was to have me record some of my poems

Išlo o to, aby som nahral niektoré moje básne

and then they would find animators

a oni by potom našli animátorov,

to animate them.

ktorí by ich zanimovali.

And I was initially resistant,

Zo začiatku som sa tomu bránil,

because I always think

pretože som si vždy myslel,

poetry can stand alone by itself.

že poézia môže existovať sama o sebe.

Attempts to put my poems to music

Pokusy zhudobniť moje básne

have had disastrous results,

dopadli katastrofálne

in all cases.

vo všetkých prípadoch.

And the poem, if it's written with the ear,

A báseň, ak sa píše podľa ucha,

already has been set to its own verbal music

už do svojej vlastnej verbálnej hudby zhudobnená bola,

as it was composed.

keď bola vytvorená.

And surely, if you're reading a poem

A iste, ak čítate báseň,

that mentions a cow,

v ktorej sa spomína krava,

you don't need on the facing page

nepotrebujete mať na druhej strane

a drawing of a cow.

obrázok kravy.

I mean, let's let the reader do a little work.

Nech ten čitateľ urobí aspoň niečo sám.

But I relented because it seemed like an interesting possibility,

Ale ustúpil som, pretože to vyzeralo ako zaujímavá možnosť

and also I'm like a total cartoon junkie

a taktiež som od detstva

since childhood.

totálny maniak do kreslených filmov.

I think more influential

Myslím, že väčší vplyv

than Emily Dickinson or Coleridge or Wordsworth

než Emily Dickinson alebo Coleridge alebo Wordsworth

on my imagination

mali na moju predstavivosť

were Warner Brothers, Merrie Melodies

kreslené filmy Warner Brothers,

and Loony Tunes cartoons.

Merrie Melodies a Loony Tunes.

Bugs Bunny is my muse.

Bugs Bunny je mojou múzou.

And this way poetry could find its way onto television of all places.

A toto je spôsob, akým si poézia môže nájsť cestu na televízne obrazovky.

And I'm pretty much all for poetry in public places --

V podstate som za to, aby bola poézia na verejných miestach -

poetry on buses, poetry on subways,

poézia v autobusoch, poézia v metrách,

on billboards, on cereal boxes.

na billboardoch, na škatuliach od cereálií.

When I was Poet Laureate, there I go again --

Keď som bol Národným básnikom, a som znova pri tom -

I can't help it, it's true --

nedokážem si pomôcť, je to pravda -

(Laughter)

(Smiech)

I created a poetry channel on Delta Airlines

Vytvoril som pre Delta Airlines poetický kanál,

that lasted for a couple of years.

ktorý trval niekoľko rokov.

So you could tune into poetry as you were flying.

Takže keď ste leteli, mohli ste si naladiť poéziu.

And my sense is,

A mám pocit,

it's a good thing to get poetry off the shelves

že je dobré presunúť poéziu z políc

and more into public life.

viac do verejného života.

Start a meeting with a poem. That would be an idea you might take with you.

Začnite poradu básňou. Ten nápad by ste si z nej mohli odniesť.

When you get a poem on a billboard or on the radio

Keď sa k vám dostane báseň na billboarde alebo v rádiu,

or on a cereal box or whatever,

alebo na škatuli od cereálií, alebo hociako,

it happens to you so suddenly

stane sa vám to tak zrazu,

that you don't have time

že nemáte čas

to deploy your anti-poetry deflector shields

nasadiť si svoj "protipoetický štít",

that were installed in high school.

ktorý vám bol nainštalovaný na strednej škole.

So let us start with the first one.

Takže začnime s prvou básňou.

It's a little poem called "Budapest,"

Je to malá básnička s názvom "Budapešť,"

and in it I reveal,

a odhaľujem v nej,

or pretend to reveal,

alebo sa aspoň tvárim, že odhaľujem,

the secrets of the creative process.

tajomstvá kreatívneho procesu.

(Video) Narration: "Budapest."

(Video) Komentár: "Budapešť."

My pen moves along the page

Moje pero sa pohybuje po stránke

like the snout of a strange animal

ako rypák zvláštneho zvieraťa

shaped like a human arm

v tvare ľudskej ruky

and dressed in the sleeve

a oblečeného do rukáva

of a loose green sweater.

voľného zeleného svetra.

I watch it sniffing the paper ceaselessly,

Sledujem ako nepretržite oňucháva papier,

intent as any forager

sústredené ako nejaký zberač,

that has nothing on its mind

ktorý nemá na mysli nič

but the grubs and insects

len červy a hmyz,

that will allow it to live another day.

ktoré mu umožnia prežiť ďalší deň.

It wants only to be here tomorrow,

Chce len to, aby tu bolo zajtra,

dressed perhaps

možno oblečené

in the sleeve of a plaid shirt,

v rukáve kockovanej košele,

nose pressed against the page,

nos pritisnutý k papieru,

writing a few more dutiful lines

píšuci pár ďalších svedomitých riadkov,

while I gaze out the window

zatiaľ čo ja civím von oknom

and imagine Budapest

a predstavujem si Budapešť

or some other city

alebo nejaké iné mesto,

where I have never been.

v ktorom som nikdy nebol.

BC: So that makes it seem a little easier.

BC: Tam to vyznieva trochu jednoduchšie.

(Applause)

(Potlesk)

Writing is not actually as easy as that for me.

Písanie pre mňa v skutočnosti nie je také jednoduché.

But I like to pretend that it comes with ease.

Ale rád predstieram, že mi to ide hravo.

One of my students came up after class, an introductory class,

Raz za mnou po hodine, úvodnej hodine, prišla študentka,

and she said, "You know, poetry is harder than writing,"

a povedala, "Viete, poézia je ťažšia ako próza,"

which I found both erroneous and profound.

čo ja pokladám za mylné a dômyselné zároveň.

(Laughter)

(Smiech)

So I like to at least pretend it just flows out.

Takže rád aspoň predstieram, že to ide samo.

A friend of mine has a slogan; he's another poet.

Jeden môj kamarát, tiež je básnik, má heslo.

He says that, "If at first you don't succeed,

Hovorí, že "Ak na začiatku nie si úspešný,

hide all evidence you ever tried."

skry všetky dôkazy, že si sa snažil."

(Laughter)

(Smiech)

The next poem is also rather short.

Ďalšia báseň je tiež kratšia.

Poetry just says a few things in different ways.

Poézia len hovorí niekoľko vecí rôznymi spôsobmi.

And I think you could boil this poem down to saying,

Myslím, že táto báseň by sa dala zhrnúť príslovím,

"Some days you eat the bear, other days the bear eats you."

"Niekedy ješ ty medveďa, inokedy medveď žerie teba."

And it uses the imagery

A využíva symboliku nábytku

of dollhouse furniture.

domčeka pre bábiky.

(Video) Narration: "Some Days."

(Video) Komentár: "Niekedy."

Some days

Niekedy

I put the people in their places at the table,

usádzam ľudí na svoje miesta pri stole,

bend their legs at the knees,

ohnem im nohy v kolenách,

if they come with that feature,

ak sa to dá,

and fix them into the tiny wooden chairs.

a usadím ich do maličkých drevených stoličiek.

All afternoon they face one another,

Celé poobedie sa pozerajú jeden na druhého,

the man in the brown suit,

muž v hnedom obleku,

the woman in the blue dress --

žena v modrých šatách -

perfectly motionless, perfectly behaved.

dokonalo nehybní, dokonalo slušní.

But other days I am the one

Ale inokedy som ja ten,

who is lifted up by the ribs

kto je nadvihnutý za rebrá

then lowered into the dining room of a dollhouse

a potom položený do jedálne v domčeku pre bábiky,

to sit with the others at the long table.

aby tam sedel s ostatnými pri dlhom stole.

Very funny.

Veľmi smiešne.

But how would you like it

Ale ako by sa vám páčilo

if you never knew from one day to the next

ak by ste z jedného dňa na druhý nikdy nevedeli,

if you were going to spend it

či ho strávite

striding around like a vivid god,

vykračujúc si ako živý boh,

your shoulders in the clouds,

s ramenami v oblakoch,

or sitting down there

alebo sediac tam dolu

amidst the wallpaper

obklopený tapetou,

staring straight ahead

zízajúc rovno pred seba

with your little plastic face?

svojou malou umelou tvárou?

(Applause)

(Potlesk)

BC: There's a horror movie in there somewhere.

BC: Niekde v tom sa skrýva horor.

The next poem is called forgetfulness,

Ďalšia báseň sa volá "Zábudlivosť,"

and it's really just a kind of poetic essay

a je to v podstate len taká poetická úvaha

on the subject of mental slippage.

na tému mentálneho úpadku.

And the poem begins

Báseň začína

with a certain species of forgetfulness

istým druhom zábudlivosti,

that someone called

ktorý niekto nazval

literary amnesia,

literárna amnézia,

in other words, forgetting the things that you have read.

inými slovami, zabúdanie vecí, ktoré ste prečítali.

(Video) Narration: "Forgetfulness."

(Video) Komentár: "Zábudlivosť."

The name of the author is the first to go,

Prvé odíde meno autora,

followed obediently

poslušne nasledované

by the title, the plot,

názvom, zápletkou,

the heartbreaking conclusion,

srdcervúcim záverom,

the entire novel,

celým románom,

which suddenly becomes one you have never read,

ktorý sa zrazu stáva tým, ktorý si nikdy neprečítal,

never even heard of.

nikdy o ňom ani nepočul.

It is as if, one by one,

Je to akoby sa, jedna za druhou,

the memories you used to harbor

spomienky, ktoré si zvykol prechovávať,

decided to retire to the southern hemisphere of the brain

rozhodli odísť do dôchodku do južnej mozgovej hemisféry

to a little fishing village

do malej rybárskej dediny,

where there are no phones.

kde nie sú žiadne telefóny.

Long ago,

Dávno predtým

you kissed the names of the nine muses good-bye

si pobozkal na rozlúčku mená deviatich múz

and you watched the quadratic equation

a sledoval si, ako si kvadratická rovnica

pack its bag.

balí kufor.

And even now,

A aj teraz,

as you memorize the order of the planets,

keď sa učíš poradie planét,

something else is slipping away,

niečo iné sa vytráca,

a state flower perhaps,

možno kvetina štátu,

the address of an uncle,

strýkova adresa,

the capital of Paraguay.

hlavné mesto Paraguaja.

Whatever it is

Nech je to čokoľvek,

you are struggling to remember,

máš problém si spomenúť,

it is not poised on the tip of your tongue,

nemáš to už-už na jazyku,

not even lurking

ani to nečíha

in some obscure corner

v nejakom neznámom kúte

of your spleen.

tvojej sleziny.

It has floated away

Odplávalo to

down a dark mythological river

dolu temnou mytologickou riekou,

whose name begins with an L

ktorej meno začína na L,

as far as you can recall,

pokiaľ si dobre spomínaš,

well on your own way to oblivion

na tvojej vlastnej ceste do zabudnutia,

where you will join those

kde sa pripojíš k tým,

who have forgotten even how to swim

ktorí zabudli aj to ako plávať

and how to ride a bicycle.

a ako jazdiť na bicykli.

No wonder you rise in the middle of the night

Niet divu, že vstávaš uprostred noci,

to look up the date of a famous battle

aby si si vyhľadal dátum známej bitky

in a book on war.

v knihe o vojne.

No wonder the Moon in the window

Niet divu, že mesiac v okne sa,

seems to have drifted out of a love poem

zdá sa, vytratil z ľúbostnej básne,

that you used to know by heart.

ktorú si vedel naspamäť.

(Applause)

(Potlesk)

BC: The next poem is called "The Country"

BC: Ďalšia báseň sa volá "Vidiek"

and it's based on,

a je založená na tom,

when I was in college

že keď som bol na vysokej škole,

I met a classmate who remains to be a friend of mine.

stretol som spolužiaka, ktorý zostal mojím priateľom.

He lived, and still does, in rural Vermont.

Žil, a stále žije, vo vidieckom Vermonte.

I lived in New York City.

Ja som žil v New Yorku.

And we would visit each other.

A zvykli sme sa navštevovať.

And when I would go up to the country,

Keď som šiel na vidiek ja,

he would teach me things like deer hunting,

učil ma veci, ako je poľovanie na vysokú zver,

which meant getting lost with a gun basically --

čo v podstate znamená stratiť sa so zbraňou -

(Laughter)

(Smiech)

and trout fishing and stuff like that.

a chytanie pstruhov a také veci.

And then he'd come down to New York City

A potom prišiel on do New Yorku

and I'd teach him what I knew,

a ja som ho učil veci, ktoré som vedel ja,

which was largely smoking and drinking.

čo bolo prevažne fajčenie a pitie.

(Laughter)

(Smiech)

And in that way we traded lore with each other.

A tak sme si navzájom vymieňali tradície.

The poem that's coming up

Nasledujúca báseň

is based on him trying to tell me a little something

je založená na tom, ako sa mi snaží povedať niečo málo

about a domestic point of etiquette

o domácom bode etikety

in country living

života na vidieku,

that I had a very hard time, at first, processing.

ktorý som mal zo začiatku veľký problém spracovať.

It's called "The Country."

Volá sa "Vidiek."

(Video) Narration: "The Country."

(Video) Komentár: "Vidiek."

I wondered about you

Premýšľal som nad tým, ako si mi povedal,

when you told me never to leave

aby som nikdy nenechával

a box of wooden strike-anywhere matches

škatuľku so zápalkami

just lying around the house,

len tak sa povaľovať po dome,

because the mice might get into them

pretože by sa do nej mohli dostať myši

and start a fire.

a spôsobiť požiar.

But your face was absolutely straight

No tváril si sa celkom vážne,

when you twisted the lid down

keď si odkrútil vrchnák

on the round tin

okrúhlej plechovky,

where the matches, you said, are always stowed.

kde sú zápalky, ako si povedal, vždy uložené.

Who could sleep that night?

Kto by v tú noc dokázal zaspať?

Who could whisk away the thought

Kto by dokázal zahnať myšlienku

of the one unlikely mouse

na jednu pochybnú myš

padding along a cold water pipe

cupitajúcu po vodovodnom potrubí

behind the floral wallpaper,

za kvetinovou tapetou,

gripping a single wooden match

zvierajúcu jednu drevenú zápalku

between the needles of his teeth?

medzi ihličkami jej zubov?

Who could not see him rounding a corner,

Kto by si nepredstavoval ako zabočí za roh,

the blue tip scratching against rough-hewn beam,

modrá hlavička sa škrtne o drsný trám,

the sudden flare

náhle vzplanutie

and the creature, for one bright, shining moment,

a tvor, na jeden jasný, žiarivý moment

suddenly thrust ahead of his time --

zrazu predbehol svoju dobu -

now a fire-starter,

teraz podpaľač,

now a torch-bearer

teraz nosič pochodne

in a forgotten ritual,

v zabudnutom rituáli,

little brown druid

malý hnedý druid

illuminating some ancient night?

osvetľujúci antickú noc?

And who could fail to notice,

A kto by si nevšimol

lit up in the blazing insulation,

zažnutie v planúcej izolácii,

the tiny looks of wonderment

drobné výrazy údivu

on the faces of his fellow mice --

na tvárach ostatných myší -

one-time inhabitants

niekdajších obyvateľov

of what once was your house in the country?

toho, čo bolo kedysi tvojím domom na vidieku?

(Applause)

(Potlesk)

BC: Thank you.

BC: Ďakujem.

(Applause)

(Potlesk)

Thank you. And the last poem is called "The Dead."

Ďakujem. Posledná báseň sa volá "Mŕtvi."

I wrote this after a friend's funeral,

Napísal som ju po pohrebe kamaráta,

but not so much about the friend as something the eulogist kept saying,

ale nie tak o ňom ako o niečom, čo hovorí chválorečník,

as all eulogists tend to do,

tak ako zvyknú všetci chválorečníci,

which is how happy the deceased would be

že aký by bol zosnulý šťastný,

to look down and see all of us assembled.

keby sa pozrel dolu a videl všetkých nás zúčastnených.

And that to me was a bad start to the afterlife,

A to mi pripadalo ako zlý začiatok posmrtného života,

having to witness your own funeral and feel gratified.

vidieť svoj vlastný pohreb a cítiť sa radostne.

So the little poem is called "The Dead."

Takže táto básnička sa volá "Mŕtvi."

(Video) Narration: "The Dead."

(Video) Komentár: "Mŕtvi."

The dead are always looking down on us,

Mŕtvi sa na nás zhora stále pozerajú,

they say.

tvrdia.

While we are putting on our shoes or making a sandwich,

Keď si obúvame topánky alebo robíme sendvič,

they are looking down

pozerajú sa dolu na nás

through the glass-bottom boats of heaven

skrz nebeské lode so skleneným dnom,

as they row themselves slowly

popri tom, ako pomaly veslujú

through eternity.

večnosťou.

They watch the tops of our heads

Sledujú vrchy našich hláv

moving below on Earth.

pohybujúce sa dolu na Zemi.

And when we lie down

A keď si ľahneme

in a field or on a couch,

na poli alebo na gauči,

drugged perhaps

možno zdrogovaní

by the hum of a warm afternoon,

šumom teplého poobedia,

they think we are looking back at them,

myslia si, že sa pozeráme späť na nich,

which makes them lift their oars

vďaka čomu dvíhajú svoje veslá

and fall silent

a stíchnu

and wait like parents

a čakajú ako rodičia,

for us to close our eyes.

kým nezavrieme oči.

(Applause)

(Potlesk)

BC: I'm not sure if other poems will be animated.

BC: Nie som si istý, či zvyšné básne budú zanimované.

It took a long time --

Zabralo to veľa času -

I mean, it's rather uncommon to have this marriage --

myslím tým, že takéto spojenie je dosť neobvyklé -

a long time to put those two together.

dať ich dokopy trvalo dlho.

But then again, it took us a long time

Ale na druhej strane, dlho nám trvalo

to put the wheel and the suitcase together.

dať dokopy aj koleso a kufor.

(Laughter)

(Smiech)

I mean, we had the wheel for some time.

Koleso už nejakú chvíľu máme.

And schlepping is an ancient and honorable art.

A vláčenie je starodávne a ctihodné umenie.

(Laughter)

(Smiech)

I just have time

Mám ešte čas,

to read a more recent poem to you.

aby som vám prečítal moju nedávnejšiu báseň.

If it has a subject,

Ak má nejakú tému,

the subject is adolescence.

tak je ňou dospievanie.

And it's addressed to a certain person.

A je adresovaná určitej osobe.

It's called "To My Favorite 17-Year-Old High School Girl."

Volá sa "Pre moju obľúbenú 17-ročnú stredoškoláčku."

"Do you realize that if you had started building the Parthenon

"Uvedomuješ si, že ak by si začala stavať Parthenon

on the day you were born,

v deň, keď si sa narodila,

you would be all done in only one more year?

za rok by si bola hotová?

Of course, you couldn't have done that all alone.

Pravdaže, nemohla by si to dokázať úplne sama.

So never mind;

Takže nevadí,

you're fine just being yourself.

si skvelá taká, aká si.

You're loved for just being you.

Si milovaná za to, že si jednoducho sama sebou.

But did you know that at your age

Ale vedela si, že v tvojom veku

Judy Garland was pulling down 150,000 dollars a picture,

Judy Garland zarábala 150 000 dolárov za film,

Joan of Arc was leading the French army to victory

Johanka z Arku viedla francúzsku armádu k víťazstvu

and Blaise Pascal had cleaned up his room --

a Blaise Pascal si upratal izbu -

no wait, I mean he had invented the calculator?

nie počkať, chcel som povedať, že vynašiel kalkulačku?

Of course, there will be time for all that

Pravdaže, na to bude v tvojom živote

later in your life,

čas neskôr,

after you come out of your room

po tom, ako vyjdeš zo svojej izby

and begin to blossom,

a začneš dozrievať,

or at least pick up all your socks.

alebo aspoň pozbieraš všetky svoje ponožky.

For some reason I keep remembering

Z nejakého dôvodu si vždy spomeniem na to,

that Lady Jane Grey was queen of England

že Lady Jane Grey bola kráľovnou Anglicka,

when she was only 15.

keď mala len 15.

But then she was beheaded, so never mind her as a role model.

Ale potom jej zoťali hlavu, takže nevadí, ju si za vzor neber.

(Laughter)

(Smiech)

A few centuries later,

O niekoľko storočí neskôr,

when he was your age,

keď bol v tvojom veku,

Franz Schubert was doing the dishes for his family,

Franz Schubert umýval riady po rodine,

but that did not keep him

ale to ho nezastavilo pred tým,

from composing two symphonies, four operas

aby ako mladík neskomponoval dve symfónie,

and two complete masses as a youngster.

štyri opery a dve kompletné omše.

(Laughter)

(Smiech)

But of course, that was in Austria

Ale pravdaže, to bolo v Rakúsku

at the height of Romantic lyricism,

na vrchole romantickej lyriky,

not here in the suburbs of Cleveland.

nie tu, na predmestí Clevelandu.

(Laughter)

(Smiech)

Frankly, who cares

Úprimne povedané, koho trápi,

if Annie Oakley was a crack shot at 15

či bola Annie Oakley ostrostrelkyňa v 15,

or if Maria Callas debuted as Tosca at 17?

alebo či Maria Callas debutovala ako Tosca v 17?

We think you're special just being you --

Myslíme si, že si jedinečná pre to, že si sama sebou -

playing with your food and staring into space.

keď sa hráš s jedlom a civíš do neznáma.

(Laughter)

(Smiech)

By the way,

Mimochodom,

I lied about Schubert doing the dishes,

klamal som, že Schubert umýval riad,

but that doesn't mean he never helped out around the house."

ale to neznamená, že nikdy doma nepomáhal."

(Laughter)

(Smiech)

(Applause)

(Potlesk)

Thank you. Thank you.

Ďakujem. Ďakujem.

(Applause)

(Potlesk)

Thanks.

Vďaka.

(Applause)

(Potlesk)