BABEL Capítol 4 - Ombra d'Anna

Fins ara!

See you later!

I vaig dir, també ets monja?

I said, are you a nun too?

Ara tot el que m'agrada és monja.

Now everything I like is a nun.

Acabava de conèixer la Teresa Forcades.

I had just met Teresa Forcades.

Va resultar que jo ja havia sentit parlar de l'Anna,

It turned out that I had already heard of Anna,

me n'havia parlat el romà Escalas,

the Roman Escalas had spoken to me about it,

i me n'havia parlat molt bé.

And he had spoken very well of it to me.

I m'havia parlat de l'Enric Gispert,

I had talked to him about Enric Gispert,

que era el director del grup de música antiga Ars Musicae,

who was the director of the early music group Ars Musicae,

d'on ell havia heretat la direcció anys després,

where he had inherited the direction years later,

quan l'Enric ho va deixar.

when Enric left it.

Tots aquests anys l'Anna m'ha acompanyat

All these years Anna has accompanied me.

en l'elaboració de tots els guions

in the preparation of all the scripts

de les cerimònies d'Hiter Lúminis

of the ceremonies of Hiter Lúminis

que he fet,

what have I done,

compartint diàleg amb Ramon Llull,

sharing dialogue with Ramon Llull,

amb Teresa de Jesús, amb Raymond Panniker,

with Teresa of Jesus, with Raymond Panikkar,

i amb tots els poetes que m'han anat ensenyant.

and with all the poets who have been teaching me.

Jo ara he fet un disc que es diu

I have now made a disc called

Babel, Balbuceig,

Babel, Babbling,

confusió a l'hora de dir alguna cosa,

confusion when it comes to saying something,

aquest saber que no sé res,

this knowledge that I know nothing,

que m'he preguntat tota la vida què és amor,

that I have wondered my whole life what love is,

què és la vida, què és el temps.

What is life, what is time.

Babel, aquest balbuceig,

Babel, this babbling,

que li he volgut donar un subtítol que és

that I've wanted to give it a subtitle which is

dels fems i les flors,

of the dung and the flowers,

en aquest sentit que cada una de les crisis,

in this sense that each of the crises,

cada una de les desesperances,

each of the despondencies,

cada un dels conflictes,

each of the conflicts,

són un convit a travessar-lo.

they are an invitation to cross it.

Fa uns anys em van encomanar de fer un espectacle

A few years ago, I was asked to create a show.

pels 90 anys del Palau i Fabra.

for the 90th anniversary of Palau and Fabra.

I era que una compositora

And she was a composer.

musicaria tot de poemes del Palau i Fabra.

musicalize all of the poems of Palau and Fabra.

Vaig anar-lo a conèixer.

I went to meet him.

I amb la coneixença, i de posar-m'hi davant,

And with the knowledge, and of putting myself in front of it,

i de conversar, i amb el seu somriure,

and to converse, and with her smile,

i preguntar-li coses,

and ask him things,

li vaig preguntar què significava

I asked him what it meant.

tot allò que a mi no em feia gaire pes,

everything that didn't weigh much on me,

i em va donar molta resposta.

and gave me a lot of answers.

Va resultar que en aquell espectacle

It turned out that in that performance

hi havia una poesia que es deia

there was a poem that was called

Ombra d'Anna, i que l'havia sentit

Anna's shadow, and that I had felt her.

abans, i que l'havia sentit abans,

before, and that I had heard it before,

cantada pel Toti Soler.

sung by Toti Soler.

I m'havien cantat aquella cançó.

They had sung that song to me.

I havia demanat que per què

I had asked why.

no guardàvem aquella música que tant m'havia agradat.

we didn't keep that music that I had liked so much.

Però no vam voler,

But we didn't want to,

era tot música nova, diguéssim.

It was all new music, let's say.

Així doncs vaig fer

So I did.

aquell espectacle, amb una música

that show, with music

que no era la que jo volia cantar,

that it was not the one I wanted to sing,

i anys més tard la vaig recuperar i vaig començar-la a cantar.

And years later I got it back and started singing it.

Va resultar que

It turned out that

amb els anys vaig conèixer

over the years I got to know

directament l'Anna Noviola,

directly Anna Noviola,

que ja s'ha vingut la meva mestra,

that my teacher has already come,

la meva amiga,

my friend,

la meva germana, la meva mare,

my sister, my mother,

la meva àvia.

my grandmother.

Per mi, no només tu, sinó

For me, not only you, but

l'Enric, tota la música que he descobert

Enric, all the music that I have discovered.

a través del grup d'Arts Musique,

through the group of Music Arts,

primer director de música antiga

first director of early music

d'aquest període de postguerra

of this post-war period

de Catalunya i d'aquesta nova

from Catalonia and this new one

relligada amb la pròpia cultura catalana.

tied to the Catalan culture itself.

D'aquest grup n'han sortit persones com

From this group, people like... have emerged.

la Montserrat Figueres, el Saball,

Montserrat Figueres, the Saball,

el Romà Escalas... Com va ser

the Roman Escalas... How was it

que l'Enric va composar aquesta música i un dia

that Enric composed this music and one day

te la va presentar?

Did he/she introduce you to her?

No recordo el dia, però sí recordo

I don't remember the day, but I do remember.

la nostra búsqueda

our search

de la poesia i de l'art

of poetry and art

i recordo que l'Enric

I remember that Enric.

em parlava d'un poeta

he was talking to me about a poet

que estava a França,

that was in France,

que es deia Palau Fabra, dels poemes

that was called Palau Fabra, of the poems

que havia fet i em deia

what I had done and was telling me

potser no t'agradaran

maybe you won't like them

perquè és molt modern

because it is very modern

i té un pensament de la poesia

and has a thought of poetry

molt avançat

very advanced

i molt diferent

and very different

del que nosaltres tenim.

of what we have.

Recordo que em va recitar

I remember that you recited to me.

un poema que deia

a poem that said

he donat el meu cor

I have given my heart.

a una dona barata.

to a cheap woman.

Vaig pensar que deu ser una...

I thought it must be a...

Jo era molt joveneta, era una nena

I was very young, I was a girl.

i una nena d'aquell temps

and a girl from that time

que no és com una noia

that is not like a girl

de 16 anys d'ara.

16 years from now.

Jo pensava, qui deu ser aquest Palau Fabra?

I was thinking, who could this Palau Fabra be?

I l'Enric em llegia versos

And Enric read me verses.

perquè encara no havia tornat de França

because he had not yet returned from France

a Palau. I recordo

to the Palace. I remember

que d'haver-me llegit Ombra d'Anna

that having read me Ombra d'Anna

el poema jo el trobava

I found the poem.

tan bonic i les paraules

so beautiful and the words

eren tan plenes

they were so full

de significat i de fundària

of meaning and of depth

i de poesia i de bellesa

and of poetry and of beauty

i de música...

and of music...

M'agradava molt.

I liked it a lot.

L'Enric feia servir molt aquestes paraules

Enric used these words a lot.

del Palau Fabra

from the Fabra Palace

en moments especials de la nostra competència

in special moments of our competition

quan hi havia

when there was

algun moment

sometime

amb dificultat

with difficulty

de la nostra conversa

from our conversation

sempre sortia

always came out

paraules de poetes

words of poets

del Palau on ell

from the palace where he

empeçava a viure en aquell món

I was beginning to live in that world.

o dones sense dir res

either you give without saying anything

donen consell...

they give advice...

I el Palau Fabra

And the Fabra Palace

i la nostra conversa

and our conversation

d'amor i d'amistat

of love and friendship

i de reconciliació

and of reconciliation

l'Enric traduïa paraules

Enric translated words.

del Palau Fabra

of the Fabra Palace

perquè li devien semblar

because it must have seemed to him/her

que eren millors que les que ell pensava

that were better than he thought

en aquell moment

at that moment

o perquè se deien molt el que ell pensava

or because they knew very well what he thought

en aquests moments.

at this moment.

Era realment una vida

It was truly a life.

teixida en paraules

woven in words

dels poetes que ens agradaven

of the poets that we liked

i que l'Enric procurava

and that Enric was trying

que jo els aprengués

that I learned them

i els obegués i els estimés.

and would obey them and love them.

Cada vegada que hi havia un núvol

Every time there was a cloud

en el dia a dia

in day-to-day life

de la nostra vida

of our life

sentia una cor al piano

I felt a heart on the piano.

que m'introduïa cap a aquell món

that was introducing me to that world

de la melodia de

of the melody of

Anna passa la mà pels meus cabells

Anna runs her hand through my hair.

...

Please provide the text you would like me to translate from Catalan to English.

Tenia jo en aquell moment

I had at that moment.

amb la flama viva que el consum

with the living flame that consumes

la veritat és que

the truth is that

era com una mena d'intuïció

It was like a kind of intuition.

no ho acabava d'entendre

I didn't quite understand it.

perquè era una nena

because she was a girl

però sí que intuïa

but I did sense

que era una cosa gran i molt gran

that it was a great thing and very big

que jo no podia ni abastar

that I could not even grasp

i m'ajudava a mi a créixer

it helped me to grow

i a fer-me gran

and to make myself big

i anar entenent aquest creixement

and to begin to understand this growth

del meu cor

from my heart

i dels meus sentiments

and of my feelings

i de la meva percepció

and from my perception

i era un descobriment molt gran.

And it was a great discovery.

...

Please provide the text you would like translated from Catalan to English.

passa la mà pels meus cabells

run your hand through my hair

...

Please provide the text you would like me to translate.

Anna

Anna

passa-hi la mà

run your hand over it

...

Please provide the text you would like to have translated from Catalan to English.

sense dir res

without saying anything

dóna'm consens

give me consent

...

Please provide the text you would like me to translate.

ara

now

que estic cansat

that I am tired

...

Please provide the text you would like me to translate from Catalan to English.

la flama viva

the living flame

que em consum

that consumes me

...

Please provide the text you would like me to translate from Catalan to English.

Anna

Anna

no té repòs

he has no rest

...

Please provide the text you would like me to translate.

i no veig res

and I see nothing

perquè soc llum

because I am light

...

Please provide the text you would like me to translate.

Anna

Anna

visc sense cor

I live without a heart.

...

Please provide the text you would like me to translate from Catalan to English.

A mi aquesta cançó, aquesta lletra,

I like this song, these lyrics,

és una especial companyia,

it is a special company,

una companyia molt íntima,

a very intimate company,

molt profunda.

very deep.

Jo he necessitat enregistrar-la,

I have needed to record it.

he necessitat cantar-la

I have needed to sing it.

per entendre'm a mi.

to understand me.

Són compadretes

They are buddies.

que em porten a aquest desig

that leads me to this desire

tan majúscul,

so capital,

que no assolim mai

that we never achieve

i que sempre és un anhel

and that it is always a longing

i que testem intermitentment

and we test intermittently

en les relacions amb les persones.

in relationships with people.

Com dius

How do you say

que mai us anau a dormir

that you never go to sleep

sense haver fet net?

without having cleaned?

Vaig aprendre

I learned.

d'en Raimon i l'Anna Elisa

of Raimon and Anna Elisa

i un dia recordo

And one day I remember.

que en Raimon em va dir això

that Raimon told me this

i l'Anna Elisa, tots dos em sembla

And Anna Elisa, both of them seem to me.

que era aquest,

what was this,

que consistia en parlar de tot

that consisted of talking about everything

sempre, parlar de tot

always, talk about everything

sempre abans

always before

d'anar-se'n a dormir,

to go to sleep,

abans de descansar junts,

before resting together,

de no deixar res

of leaving nothing behind

dels calaixos desendreçats,

from the disorganized drawers,

de deixar-ho tot

to leave it all

en el seu lloc cada dia

in its place every day

i endreçat per la pau.

and arranged for peace.

Que bonic!

How beautiful!

Tan bonic!

So beautiful!

I això, jo, saps,

And this, I, you know,

era el meu desig

it was my wish

però em sembla que

but it seems to me that

d'això no ho vaig haver fet prou ben fet

I didn't do that well enough.

i t'ho dic amb sinceritat

and I tell you this with sincerity

i humilitat

and humility

com amb angoixa,

as if with anguish,

una mica d'angoixa

a bit of anxiety

de no haver-ho fet prou bé.

of not having done it well enough.

Raimon i l'Anna Elisa,

Raimon and Anna Elisa,

que per mi és, encara que

that for me is, even though

gràcies a Déu continuï sent,

thank God continue being,

una parella perfecta.

a perfect couple.

Quan jo vaig actuar amb el Toti

When I performed with Toti.

que li tinc molt de respecte i molta admiració,

that I have a lot of respect and admiration for him/her,

primer l'havia escoltat com toca però

first I had listened to him/her as it should be but

quan el vaig veure en el primer concert

when I saw him at the first concert

cantant em vaig desfer absolutament

singing I absolutely fell apart

la seva manera de cantar.

her way of singing.

És com veure la pols de la llum,

It's like seeing the dust of the light,

és com veure pols ets i pols de tornaràs

It is like seeing dust you are and dust you will return to.

llum.

light.

Clar, el veu conèixer personalment

Sure, he knows you personally.

és on surt aquella fotografia que està

It's where that photograph comes out that is.

que estàs tu mirant com

What are you looking at like

l'Enric explica el palau.

Enric explains the palace.

Me'n recordo entera el lloc

I remember the place perfectly.

ni recordo què es presentava

I don't even remember what was being presented.

però un lloc que m'ha inconcili el Toti

but a place that Toti has reconciled me

que era un nen, l'Enric.

he was a boy, Enric.

Però sí que recordo

But I do remember.

això, que l'Enric

this, that Enric

estava content d'ensenyar

I was happy to teach.

en el palau

in the palace

que s'ho ha quedat molt parat

that he was very surprised by it

l'Enric estava content, pobre

Enric was happy, poor thing.

d'ensenyar

to teach

l'Anna, de la que

Anna, of whom

la cançó

the song

era fantàstic

it was fantastic

i feia molts anys

and it was many years ago

que l'havia escrit

that he had written

la cançó

the song

aquesta és la verdadera Anna

this is the real Anna

i el palau

and the palace

d'aquell

of that

jo estava

I was

clar, a la fotografia

sure, in the photograph

el Toti se'l veu

You can see Toti.

el Toti se'l veu un bebè

you can see Toti as a baby

tenia 16 o 17 anys

I was 16 or 17 years old.

nosaltres érem molt amics del seu pare

we were very friends with his father

he fet aquesta cançó

I have made this song.

en aquest disc

on this disc

he heretat

he inherited

poemes, músiques

poems, music

vivències

experiences

de la teva història

of your story

que omplen i enriqueixen la meva

that fill and enrich my

i que la vull compartir amb la gent

and I want to share it with people.

cantant Ombra d'Anna

singer Shadow of Anna

i cantant L'arbre no sap

The singer The tree does not know

que ell considerava que era el seu millor poema

that he considered was his best poem

que era el menys dolent

that was the least bad

l'Enric era un home molt humil

Enric was a very humble man.

i molt conscient

and very aware

de la seva capacitat

of their ability

que maco

how beautiful

la flama viva

the living flame

que em consuma

that consumes me

Anna

Anna

no té

he doesn't have

repòs

rest

i no veig

and I don't see

res perquè soc

nothing because I am

llum

light

Anna

Anna

visc sense cor

I live without a heart.

jo crec que la referència

I think that the reference

que ens dona el Toti

what Toti gives us

és una preciosa referència

it is a beautiful reference

d'intimitat i de vulnerabilitat

of intimacy and vulnerability

vers aquest poema

towards this poem

i aquesta música

and this music

jo he volgut fer-la una mica més enriquida

I wanted to make it a little richer.

perquè crec que és una manera de continuar-la

because I think it's a way to continue it

en el fil de les noves generacions

in the thread of new generations

és la meva mirada

it's my gaze

i la meva aportació a través

and my contribution through

de l'arranjament que ha fet el Pau Figueres

of the arrangement that Pau Figueres has made

que també és un fill d'un músic

who is also the son of a musician

i és com ell ho viu

and it's how he lives it

i com vol transmetre-la

and how he wants to convey it

un grandíssim, grandíssim

a very big, very big

hereu musical del Toti Soler

musical heir of Toti Soler

i igual que el Dani Espasa

and just like Dani Espasa

un actor de música antiga

an early music performer

i també de música moderna

and also of modern music

i de tot tipus de música

and all kinds of music

perquè té aquesta capacitat de ser l'art de Sant Martí

because it has the ability to be the art of Saint Martin

com ho és també el Pau Figueres

how it is the same with Pau Figueres

un gran, gran entregrans

a great, great among greats

estava collint aquell ram de flors per tu

I was picking that bouquet of flowers for you.

i ara posem aquell ram acomiadat de tu

and now we put that bouquet farewell from you

ens anem cap allà?

Shall we head over there?

Mira la neu en el meu front

Look at the snow on my forehead.

Anna

Anna

i els desencants

and the disenchantments

em pesa viure

I find it heavy to live.

en aquest món

in this world

Anna

Anna

ja tinc milars

I already have thousands.

la flama viva

the living flame

que em consum

that consumes me

Anna

Anna

no té repòs

has no rest

i no veig res

I can't see anything.

per a mi

for me

Anna

Anna

i els desencants

and the disenchantments

em pesa viure

it weighs me to live

en aquest món

in this world

Anna

Anna

perquè sóc lluny

because I am far away

Anna

Anna

visc sense cos

I live without a body.

Anna

Anna