New Translations

Translations of two medieval Scots language texts have recently been published. 'The life and miracles of St Ninian' is a translation of an anonymous early 15th Century Scots poem. Set in Galloway, the text is a mixture of pious language and down-to-earth descriptions of miracles such as the speaking baby or sudden growing of kale for the hungry. Written by C E Palmer, the translation was published by the 'Friends of Whithorn Trust' and continues the Trust's series of events, talks and academic publications relating to St Ninian and the Whithorn area. Further information about the trust is at www.whithorn.com
Seamus Heaney is the translator of the Robert Henryson text 'The testament of Cresseid and seven fables'. This volume has been produced with the English and Scots sitting along side one another, enabling the reader to see where Heaney has altered rhyme scheme or modernised text. Copies of this book are available at www.booksfromscotland.com
Heaney shows that translations of poetry work well when the translator is a poet as well as a linguist. We can listen here to two further poets reading translations. John Manson has translated Giuseppe Ungaretti's work 'San Martine Del Carso'. John is well known MacDiarmid expert. David Douglas also combines writing poetry with translating. Here we can listen to 'Grappa in September' by Cesear Parvese.

Grappa in September

San Martine Del Carso