Gadget Berry Dimple: A Glossary of False Translation

Gadget Berry Dimple: A Glossary of False Translation transforms the poetry of Hugo Ball using Oulipian games, a Benjolin synthesizer, and a vintage Merlin music machine.

Our poem appears in Circumference, a journal of poetry in translation.

The original poem:

Gadji beri bimba
gadji beri bimba glandridi laula lonni cadori
gadjama gramma berida bimbala glandri galassassa laulitalomini
gadji beri bin blassa glassala laula lonni cadorsu sassala bim
gadjama tuffm i zimzalla binban gligla wowolimai bin beri ban
o katalominai rhinozerossola hopsamen laulitalomini hoooo
gadjama rhinozerossola hopsamen
bluku terullala blaulala loooo

zimzim urullala zimzim urullala zimzim zanzibar zimzalla zam
elifantolim brussala bulomen brussala bulomen tromtata
velo da bang band affalo purzamai affalo purzamai lengado tor
gadjama bimbalo glandridi glassala zingtata pimpalo ögrögöööö
viola laxato viola zimbrabim viola uli paluji malooo

tuffm im zimbrabim negramai bumbalo negramai bumbalo tuffm i zim
gadjama bimbala oo beri gadjama gaga di gadjama affalo pinx
gaga di bumbalo bumbalo gadjamen
g
aga di bling blong
gaga blung

…
Our falsely translated version:

Gadget Berry Dimple
Gadget berry dimple; grand treaty. Louder, lonely tandoori.
Pajama gamma, buried home, timbales, grand tree. Melis-iss-sa: “Lolita longs for me.”
Gadget berry (gin blossom glossary). Louder, lonely cats or you, sad salad? Bim:
“Pajama toughen!” I, some olive, been banned. Glee club? Wow! only me (gin berry) banned.
O cat and lonely mice. [rhinoceros solo] Hans Tammen: “Lolita longs for me.” Who?
Pajama Rhinoceros. [solo: Hans Tammen]
Blue queue tarantula; blue lager low.

Chin, chin, you rule a lot. Chin, chin, you rule a lot. Chin, chin, sandwich bar. (Some olive sham!)
Elephant totem, bruised salad. Pillow men: “Bruised salad.” Pillow men: “Drum louder.”
Hell, no! Ha! Pang bland. A fellow purse of mine, a fellow purse of mine. [legato: tire]
Pajama bee’s halo. Grand treaty glossary. Zinc starter, pimp! Alone ogre grow.
Voilà: lacks a toe. Voilà: sing this hymn. Voilà: Oulipo Fallujah Morneau.

Toughen, ein sing this hymn? No, not mine. Bungalow? No, not mine. Bungalow toughen—I shim.
Pajama timbales. Oh, berry pajama. “Dada the pajama,” a fellow pins.
“Dada the bungalow, bungalow,” god of men.
Dada the bring blonde?
Dada brung!