1403: Echo by Pura López-Colomé, translated by Forrest Gander

Summary

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Episode Overview

Podcast: The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily
Episode: 1403: "Echo" by Pura López-Colomé, translated by Forrest Gander
Host: Maggie Smith
Date: November 25, 2025

In this episode, host Maggie Smith delves into the art and intricacies of poetic translation, before sharing and reflecting on the poem "Echo" by Pura López-Colomé, translated into English by Forrest Gander. Through personal musings and a close reading, Smith explores how poetry and language bridge and illuminate gaps in understanding—both between languages and within ourselves.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Fascination and Challenges of Translation

[01:00 – 03:35]

• Personal Connection: Maggie Smith shares her experience of having her poetry translated into many languages, such as Korean, Dutch, German, and Portuguese, highlighting the trust required when one cannot read the result.
  • “When I see a poem of my own translated, I have to trust that it says what I think it says.” (Maggie Smith, 01:45)
• Nature of Translation: She discusses the artistic and technical challenges of translating poetry—beyond word-for-word equivalence.
  • “Translators have to think not only about meaning but about sound. Especially with poetry, the sounds and rhythms of words can vary greatly from language to language, so recasting a poem is tricky business.” (Maggie Smith, 02:16)
• Word Example: Smith reflects on the English word "heart" versus the Spanish "corazón." She notes how syllable counts and phonetics shape emotional resonance.
  • “The English word [heart] is quick and staccato, with hard sounds ... the Spanish word is more melodic, with a long vowel and a softer closing: corazón.” (Maggie Smith, 02:49)
• Universal Translation: Smith notes that all writing is a form of translation, as we put inner experiences into words.
  • “In a sense, we are taking what is in our minds and translating that into language, and that's true in any language.” (Maggie Smith, 03:21)

The Limits of Language

[03:35]

• Smith highlights the ever-present gap between intent and articulation.
  • “I think there is always a gap between what we want to express and what we can articulate with words. Language can only say so much.” (Maggie Smith, 03:35)

Reading & Reflection: "Echo" by Pura López-Colomé

[03:36 – 06:26]

• Introduction: Smith introduces the poem, noting it comes with an epigraph from Emily Dickinson:

  • “It would not sound so deep / were it a firmamental product. / Airs no oceans keep.” (Emily Dickinson, epigraph, 03:40)

• Poem Themes:

  • The poem explores boundaries—between self and other, sound and silence, air and water.
  • Imagery of being confined yet deeply connected, “caught in the bubble of your breath” and “the low echo of a beyond beyond.”
  • Reflections on the solitary voice and the ancient, transforming power of language.
  • Notable lines from the poem:
    • “Confined to speak alone, I talk and listen, ask questions and answer myself. I hum, I think, I sing, I breathe in, breathe in, and don't explode.”
    • “You allow me to think that the root of the wind is water and the atmosphere smells of salt and microbes and intimacy.”
    • “In that instant comes the low echo of a beyond beyond, a language archaic and soaked in syllables and accents suited for re-detransforming ... the hollow echo of the voice which speaks alone.”

Reflection on the Poem and Its Translation

(Implied throughout the reading, explicit at the close of poem segment)

• Smith’s presentation and selection highlights how the poem’s imagery and sound, preserved and reimagined in English, bridge personal interiority and universal longing.
• The translation renders not only the literal meaning, but also attempts to carry the "echo" of original rhythm, sound, and emotional register, inviting listeners to consider their own expressions and silences.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Translation as Trust:
  • “When I see a poem of my own translated, I have to trust that it says what I think it says.” — Maggie Smith, [01:45]
• On the Sound of Words:
  • “Swapping one for the other doesn't change the meaning, but it certainly changes the sound.” — Maggie Smith, [03:00]
• On All Literature as Translation:
  • “We are taking what is in our minds and translating that into language, and that's true in any language.” — Maggie Smith, [03:21]
• On Language’s Limits:
  • “There is always a gap between what we want to express and what we can articulate with words. Language can only say so much.” — Maggie Smith, [03:35]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:00–03:35 — Maggie Smith discusses translation and personal anecdotes.
• 03:36–03:40 — Emily Dickinson epigraph introduces the poem.
• 03:41–06:26 — Reading of "Echo" by Pura López-Colomé, translated by Forrest Gander.

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Tone and Style

Maggie Smith’s narration is contemplative, gentle, and inviting, making the listener feel both included and prompted to reflect on their own experiences with language, poetry, and the elusive process of expressing meaning. The episode maintains the podcast's signature warmth and sense of daily, attentive ritual.

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For listeners new or familiar with poetry, this episode serves as a thoughtful meditation on what it means to translate—across tongues, minds, and inner landscapes—while offering an evocative poem that shimmers with solitary, connective longing.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[B]

Foreign. I'm Maggie Smith and this is the Slowdown. As someone who loves words, I'm fascinated by translation. I'm lucky to have had my work translated into multiple languages Korean, Dutch, German, Portuguese and dozens of others, most of which I can't read. I can read a little Spanish and the tiniest bit of French, but that's about it. When I see a poem of my own translated, I have to trust that it says what I think it says. When a foreign edition of one of my books arrives, I flip through it, marveling at how the words are mine and yet not mine. I don't have the skills to translate my own work, and translating poetry is an art as well as a skill. Translators have to think not only about meaning but about sound. Especially with poetry, the sounds and rhythms of words can vary greatly from language to language, so recasting a poem is tricky business. For example, take the word heart in English, which in Spanish means is corazon. The syllable count goes from one to three. The feeling of the word is different. The English word is quick and staccato, with hard sounds and a hard T to clip the word at the end. Heart, the Spanish word, is more melodic, with a long vowel and a softer closing corazon. Swapping one for the other doesn't change the meaning, but it certainly changes the sound. I also think that all literature is translation. In a sense, we are taking what is in our minds and translating that into language, and that's true in any language.

[D]

I think.

[B]

There is always a gap between what we want to express and what we can articulate with words. Language can only say so much. Today's poem, translated skillfully and artfully from the Original Spanish by Forrest Gander Opens with an epigraph from Emily Dickinson. Echo by Pura Lopez Colom Translated by Forrest Gander it would not sound so deep were it a firmamental product. Airs no oceans keep Emily Dickinson afloat between your lens and your gaze. The last consideration to go across my gray matter and its salubrious deliquescence is whether or not I'll swim, whether I'll be able to breathe, whether I'll live like before. I'm caught in the bubble of your breath. It locks me in, drives me mad. Confined to speak alone, I talk and listen, ask questions and answer myself. I hum, I think, I sing, I breathe in, breathe in and don't explode. I'm no one behind the wall of hydrogen and oxygen, very clear, almost illuminated. You allow me to think that the root of the wind is water and the atmosphere smells of salt and microbes and intimacy. And in that instant comes the the low echo of a beyond beyond, a language archaic and soaked in syllables and accents suited for re detransforming, giving light, giving birth to melanin hidden within another skin, the hollow echo of the voice which speaks alone.

[D]

The Slowdown is a production of American Public Media in partnership with the Poetry Foundation. To get a poem delivered to you daily, go to slowdownshow.org and sign up for our newsletter. Find us on Instagram lodownshow and bluesky slowdownshow.org the slowdown is written by me, Maggie Smith. Our lead producer is Micah Kielbon, and our associate producer is Maria Wurtel. Our music is composed by Kyle Andrews, engineering by Derek Ramirez. Our editor is Joanne Griffith. Additional production help by Susanna Sharpless, Cece Lucas, Marcel Malakibu, and Lauren Humpert. Our executives in charge are Chandra Kavati and Mark Crowley.

[B]

Hi, it's Maggie. The Slowdown helps you discover new poems and and revisit old favorites. You can help us continue showcasing poetry from a diverse swath of authors by making a tax deductible gift. Head to slowdownshow.org donate today.