Poetry Translation and Performance: “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou

Abstract:

This paper presents an evaluation of five translations into Brazilian Portuguese of the poem “Still I Rise” by African-American author Maya Angelou (1928-2014). Also, I present and discuss my own translation of the same poem, in which I aimed at creating a text to be performed, i.e. that would work orally in Portuguese. The reasons behind this choice are: 1) this is one of Angelou’s most famous poems and one which she performed on many occasions; 2) Angelou’s poetry stands out for following the African-American tradition of oral literature and so the poem acquires a new aesthetical dimension when it is performed. My criticism on the translations as well as my translation are in debt to Paulo Henriques Britto’s work towards a more objective evaluation of poetic translations (2002).

Key-words:
Poetry Translation; Performance; Oral Literature; Maya Angelou