Translator’s Note

The three translations below are excerpts from the 1984 poetry collection Cadernos negros by Carlos de Assumpção. These anthologies have been published annually since 1978, but some poems date back to the early 1960s. They aim to showcase the works of Assumpção, providing a platform for voices that are often marginalized. The goal of the series is to promote and celebrate Black culture and literature in Brazil, an activism that goes explicit in the whole narrative. Despite being a prominent figure in Afro activism in Brazil today, Assumpção's poetry has not been fully translated into English yet. Most of his poems are set in the late 1960s-70s Brazilian scenario, yet they were only published in 1984. During this process, he revisited and re-edited them, incorporating black and post-war vernaculars into his literary work.

Assumpção intentionally plays with grammar, rearranging word orders to emphasize rhymes and alliteration. His poetry lacks punctuation, a feature permissible in Brazilian Portuguese, where readers can infuse varied tones in the sentences, giving room to diverse interpretations. However, understanding these poems without punctuation marks in English would be nearly impossible, so I found it necessary to have specific commas and question marks to maintain consistency and strike a balance between readability and lyricism. Throughout his narrative, emotions of hope and despair intertwine, making the addition of punctuation marks crucial to convey the author's intended message to the reader.

Adapting the original structure for the English version posed challenges, primarily because the expected lyrical and melodic nuances wouldn't naturally resonate with readers if I adhered strictly to the original form; in this case, I also changed some of the structure just so I could emphasize different parts of the poems. The Portuguese version revolves around the theme of a Black author. However, since written Portuguese does not significantly vary between races, I took the liberty of portraying a Black vernacular grammar in the translation; this explains why I dropped down the g in the gerund form. Assumpção's significant influence from symbolism allowed me some freedom to incorporate traditional features from this movement, ensuring the fluidity of the English words while preserving the essence of the original work.

Pedro Lino