In 1981, two translations of this Szymborska poem were published. Which do you prefer?
Two Monkeys by Brueghel
I keep dreaming of my graduation exam:
in a window sit two chained monkeys,
beyond the window floats the sky,
and the sea splashes.I am taking an exam on the history of mankind:
I stammer and flounder.One monkey, eyes fixed upon me, listens ironically,
the other seems to be dozing–
and when silence follows a question,
he prompts me
with a soft jingling of the chain.– Trans. Krynski & Maguire (1981)
Brueghel’s Two Monkeys
Here’s what my great dream of my final exam is like:
two chained monkeys are sitting in a window,
the sky is fluttering outside
and the ocean is bathing.I’m being examined on human history.
I stammer and cast about for words.One monkey, staring at me, listens ironically;
the other appears to be dozing–
but when silence descends after a question
he coaches me
with the soft rattling of his chain.– Trans. Levine (1981)