Elizabeth Mirabal’s Herbarium is more than a poetry collection—it’s a botanical and cultural odyssey that brings the lush flora of Cuba onto the page, preserved in language rather than pressed between paper. Conceived amid nostalgia for her grandmother’s garden in Havana, translated by passionate undergraduates, and published by Valparaíso Editions, Herbarium exemplifies the power of collaborative scholarship and cross‑cultural dialogue. Below, we explore the collection’s genesis, the translation journey, its broader impact, and answer key questions readers often ask.
From Havana Gardens to a 205‑Page Tribute
- Personal Roots: Mirabal grew up surrounded by her grandmother’s medicinal and culinary plants—moringa trees, güira gourds, calabash flowers—that flourished under Cuba’s tropical sun. After moving to the U.S., she channeled her homesickness into free‑verse poems, each one an homage to a different species or garden memory.
- Literary Lineage: Herbarium weaves Mirabal’s memories with allusions to Cuban writers such as José Martí (who likened Cuba’s spirit to its blossoms) and Dulce María Loynaz (whose verses often invoke night‑blooming jasmine). This intertextual approach situates her work within a century of Cuban botanical writing.
- Formal Innovation: Rather than a conventional anthology, Mirabal structures Herbarium in loose sections—“Remedios,” “Sabores,” “Jardines Secretos”—inviting readers to wander the gardens of memory at their own pace, much like flipping through pressed leaves in a scientific herbarium.
A Classroom Becomes a Publishing Incubator
- SPAN 4040’s Special Project: Professor Nieves García Prados’s advanced translation seminar typically assigns brief excerpts. In 2022, after discussions with Gordon McNeer of Valparaíso Editions, García Prados offered her top students the rare chance to translate the entire manuscript—an immersive professional experience unusual at the undergraduate level.
- Selection and Collaboration: Six students—Bliss Bodawala (Class of ’23), Leah Baetcke, Mitchell Francis, Amelia Pearson, Ben Riley, and Thomas Tayman—submitted samples and were chosen for their sensitivity to poetic voice. Over two semesters, they worked in pairs, convening weekly to debate word choice, meter, and cultural resonance.
- Pedagogical Insights: The project exemplified “translation as co‑creation.” Under García Prados’s guidance, students learned to balance literal fidelity (“yerba buena” → “mint”) with emotional authenticity (“yerba buena” also conveys comfort and home).
Navigating Botanical and Cultural Nuances
- Colloquial vs. Scientific: Mirabal’s poems favor colloquial names—“corozo” (wild palm berry), “guayabo” (guava)—to preserve their intimate associations. Translators cross‑referenced Cuban flora guides and consulted UVA’s Botanic Garden archives to ensure accuracy without resorting to Latin binomials that strip the poems of warmth.
- Cultural Signifiers: Beyond plants, the verses evoke rituals—siestas in a ceiba’s shade, herbal teas at dusk, the scent of achiote in street markets. Translators wrestled with conveying these sensory details, opting for English phrases like “dusk‑steeped oregano” that mirror Mirabal’s tone.
- Maintaining Rhythm: Free verse affords flexibility, but Spanish’s natural cadence differs from English. The team experimented with line breaks and enjambment to recreate Mirabal’s pauses—moments of reverie—ensuring the translated poems breathe like their originals.
From Manuscript to Marketplace
- Valparaíso Editions’ Role: Founded in 2015 by poet‑publisher Gordon McNeer, Valparaíso specializes in bilingual editions that foster hemispheric literary exchange. Herbarium marks its first full‑length Cuban poetry translation, reflecting the press’s mission to amplify underrepresented voices.
- Launch and Reception: The English edition debuted in November 2024 at UVA’s historic Pavilion Gardens, co‑hosted by Sigma Delta Pi and Casa Bolivar. Over 200 attendees—faculty, students, local poets—gathered for readings in both languages, followed by a botanical tasting of Cuban teas and jams.
- Beyond the Page: UVA’s Rare Book School is archiving the student translators’ annotated drafts, preserving their decision‑making process as a teaching tool. Plans are underway for a digital Herbarium module, complete with audio recordings of Mirabal reciting each poem in Spanish.
Cultural Diplomacy and Literary Bridges
- Healing Divides: Damaged U.S.–Cuba relations since the 1960s have stifled academic and artistic exchange. Herbarium offers a new conduit, underscoring shared ecological concerns—climate‑resilient gardening, biodiversity—and the universal language of flora.
- Inspiring Future Projects: The success of this student‑led translation has spurred UVA to establish a permanent “Translation Lab,” where classes can partner with presses, NGOs, and diaspora authors to bring multilingual works to wider audiences.
- Diaspora Connections: For Cuban‑American communities, Herbarium rekindles connections to ancestral landscapes. Local libraries in Miami and New York are hosting bilingual reading circles, pairing each poem with a potted Cuban plant.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Herbarium about?
A: It’s a free‑verse collection of 60 poems by Cuban scholar‑poet Elizabeth Mirabal, each centered on plants from her childhood garden in Havana.
Q: Why translate colloquial plant names instead of scientific terms?
A: Mirabal chose common names to evoke emotional memories; translators mirrored that choice to preserve intimacy and cultural specificity.
Q: How did undergraduates manage a professional translation?
A: Selected through coursework, they collaborated under a tenured professor’s mentorship and coordinated directly with Valparaíso Editions for editorial feedback.
Q: What challenges did translators face?
A: Balancing literal accuracy with poetic tone, identifying obscure Cuban plants, and capturing the nostalgic rhythm of Mirabal’s Spanish.
Q: Where can I find the English edition?
A: Available through Valparaíso Editions’ website, UVA Bookstore, and major online retailers in both print and ebook formats.
Q: Will there be more of Mirabal’s work in translation?
A: Plans are in discussion for a second volume—Herbarium II—and for a Spanish‑English bilingual edition to strengthen cross‑language readership.
Q: How can students get involved in similar projects?
A: UVA’s new Translation Lab will offer credits, stipends, and publication partnerships for projects spanning poetry, memoir, and technical texts.
Q: Does the digital module require specialized software?
A: No—designers are using an open‑source web platform that integrates text, audio, and high‑resolution herbarium images, accessible via any browser.
Q: How does this project impact U.S.–Cuba cultural exchange?
A: By spotlighting a Cuban voice in U.S. classrooms and bookstores, it fosters dialogue about ecology, memory, and shared humanity.
Q: Can readers suggest plants for the next edition?
A: Yes—the publisher is soliciting reader submissions of culturally significant flora, to be integrated as epilogues or companion essays in future printings.
Conclusion
Herbarium showcases how personal memory, botanical science, and poetic craft can blossom into a transnational enterprise. From Mirabal’s garden in Havana to an undergraduate translation workshop and a Virginia press’s catalog, this collection underscores the transformative potential of literature and collaboration. As Herbarium takes root in English and Spanish, it invites readers everywhere to tend their own gardens of memory, language, and cultural exchange.
Sources The Cavalier Daily
