HILARY ELFICK

Learning his letters
 

Ben and I, his last summer before school,
driving into the mountains to see Mr Withers.

He took us across the yard to the long sheds
where the drone rumbled half across the valley,

and lifted him onto the swivelled chair before
the screen where, at his touch, appeared letters

and pictures, then slid him down and led him
through the door marked NO ADMITTANCE

into the hall of the great machine. Holding
the big man’s hand Ben watched, intent,

amazed. Fast steel saws cut into hardwood planks,
lifting each time as the sawdust settled,

cutting letters in crisp Celtic Uncial, trees,
a walking man, picnic benches, arrows,

two children running; then to the sticky shed
where Griff was splashing in paint - red, yellow,

green and blue, so all the words read clear:
Llwyngwril, Brithdir, Llanidloes.

‘What if it rains?’ ‘It dries again.’ And so
we drove back down the valleys, reading all

his markings - here a forest, there the hill
where they still mine gold, footpaths, churches,

picnic tables, running children by the small
stone school, even the finger pointing to the harbour,

even the place where ospreys breed,
and bat boxes hang high above the tracks,

Mr Wither’s signs and Griff’s bright paint,
all along the roadsides, all the signs of Wales.

Roxana-Monica Mîndrican

Hilary Elfick
 

Invatandu-l literele*

Eu si Ben, in ultima vara inainte de-nceperea scolii,
mergand in munti sa-l vizitam pe Dl. Withers.

Ne-a condus de-a lungul curtii catre lungile soproane
de unde huruitul se auzea aproape pana la jumatatea vaii,

l-a ridicat pe scaunul rotitor in fata
ecranului pe care, atingandul, au aparut litere

si imagini, apoi l-a lasat jos si l-a condus
catre usa pe care scria ACCESUL INTERZIS

in holul grandioasei masinarii. Strangand
mana uriasului Ben privea, atent ,

uimit. Fierastraie rapide de otel taiau blanile solide,
ridicandu-se de fiecarea data cand rumegusul cadea,

taind litere in scortosul format Celtic Unical*, copaci,
un om ce mergea, bancute de picnic, sageti ,

doi copii alergand; apoi in sopronul umed
unde Griff se scalda in vopsea- rosie, galbena,

verde si albastra*, astfel incat toate cuvintele se citeau clar:
Llwyngwril, Brithdir, Llanidloes.

“Daca ploua?” “Se usuca din nou.” Si astfel
ne-am intors coborand vaile, citind toate

insemele lui- aici o padure, acolo dealul
unde distileaza aurul din mina, pasi, biserici,

mese de picnic, copii alergand in jurul micutei
scoli de piatra, chiar si degetul aratand catre port,

chiar si locul unde traiesc vulturii*,
si cutiile pentru lilieci atarnand sus deasupra potecii,

Semnele domnului Withers si desenele lui Griff,
insirandu-se de-a lungul drumului, toate semnele Galilor*.

*“learning his letters”- ‘to learn one’s letters’ means ‘to learn to read’; the literal meaning is to learn the letters, the signs (the symbols)- the poem hints at the idea of sign/letter insignia therefore a literal translation of the title seems to be more appropriate.

*a type of leters.

*These are also the colours of Wales (red and green- there is also white on the Wales’ flag, but the poem doesn’t mention it)- therefore the poem acquires a nationalistic and patriotic connotation.

*The Osprey- in the original text. (Pandion haliaetus), sometimes known as the sea hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching 60 centimeters (24 in) in length with a 1.8 metre (6 ft) wingspan. It is brown on the upperparts and predominantly greyish on the head and underparts, with a black eye patch and wings.The Osprey tolerates a wide variety of habitats, nesting in any location near a body of water providing an adequate food supply. In Romanian I called them “vulturi”( using the generic term).

*Here we have again a metaphor of patriotism and nationalism (‘all the signs of Wales’).