Welcome to the fourth edition of National Translation Month! This September, we have great things in store for you: new poetry and prose translations from all over the world, interviews with accomplished translators, readings across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and in the U.K., and even a peek inside an Italian artist studio, in one of the most eclectic and fun translation projects on the web today.
You noticed we’ve changed the celebrations month to September. The main reason is that September 30 is celebrated as the International Translators Day with the feast of Saint Jerome, the patron saint of translators. Saint Jerome was a Latin Christian priest, confessor, theologian, and historian. He became a Doctor of the Church and is best known for his translation of the Bible into Latin (the Vulgate), and his commentaries on the Christian Bible’s Gospel of the Hebrews. We thought it makes sense to celebrate an entire month of translations in September, and Saint Jerome would certainly look after our entire community and approve of our projects.
To get started, here are three beautiful poems by Li Shang-Yin (Tang Dynasty), translated from the Chinese by Ann Huang. This is the first of many premieres at NTM, as we continue to introduce translations from under-represented languages to our readers.
And remember, in September and beyond, read and share translations! Let us know which ones are your favorites and discover new voices. The world lies open—take time to enjoy it. We hope our project will keep you company on your travels.
—Claudia Serea & Loren Kleinman
