Lost in translation?

You'll find in the September issue of Poetry a very lively debate about Michael Hofmann's review of the new Collected Poems of Zbigniew Herbert. His piece, "A Dead Necktie" (which we ran in May), dismissed the new translations, and the seven letters we've published this month are just the tip of the proverbial and metaphorical iceberg. One of the letters is up right now on the Poetry website; all are passionate and make good points. Among the issues raised: what constitutes competence in translators... and in reviewers of their work? Do great poets deserve many translators - or, as Hofmann said, not. In what sense is a translated poem the same poem as the original? All represent what one letter-writer calls "strong beliefs about what makes good poetry." The debate continues...