Poetry Translation Competition

The three winners will be awarded prizes from Casio.

The translated poem should be emailed as an attached word file to: teacher1.ucoz@mail.ru by February 15, 2012. Along with the translated poems, each participant must submit his/her name, age, school or university, and email address.

Main Prize: Электронный словарь CASIO EW-R3000C  • Функциональность • Миниатюрность • Живой голос

Other Prizes:
Часы CASIO G-Shock GA-100-1A4.
Часы CASIO G-Shock GA-100-1A1. Translate the poem and get a prize from CASIO (www.1september.ru).

THE LANGUAGE TREE

By Alan Maley

Out of the language tree

The leaves float down.

Whirling, they criss and cross

Writing new patterns on the ground,

Slowly coding this year’s messages.

Below, the wadded strata

From the past years

Distil and mature old meanings.

And down among the roots,

Half-forgotten, skeletal memories

Muted by the loam,

Stir in their sleep,

Mutter and moan.

And way above, twig ends,

And within bud, dream

Of meanings for next year,

And the next, and the next.

Every year the same tree,

Roughly the same shape and size.

And every year a subtle

Change of size and shape;

A small surprise –

A limited escape.