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Hailed as the greatest modern lyrical poet of Germany, Rainer Maria Rilke’s genius lies in his passion for perfection, artistic integrity and ‘willingness to remain a perpetual beginner’.
The verse contained in this selection ranges from the objective, naturalistic descriptions of his earliest works to the increasingly effusive outpourings of half-religious ecstasy and anguish that characterize his later poems and culminates in the overwhelmingly personal vision of the famous ‘Duino Elegies’ and ‘The Sonnets to Orpheus’, in which his most intense experiences of living and being find their noblest expression.
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First Sentence
The day is coming when from God the Tree a bough unlike that over Italy in summer-ripe annunciance shall glisten; here in a country where the people listen, and everyone is solitary like me. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
The day is coming when from God the Tree a bough unlike that over Italy in summer-ripe annunciance shall glisten; here in a country where the people listen, and everyone is solitary like me. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
These translations by JB Leishman were some of the earliest translations of Rilke. Alas, they are amongst the worst. As Leishman explains in the introduction, he tried to reproduce rhymes in Rilke's work often ignoring the imagery. Thus often he often missed the beauty and vision in Rilke's poetry. Sometimes he even fell at the first hurdle and failed to reproduce even what Rilke was saying. Worse, the English is often poor and sometimes incomprehensible. Occasionally, one may hit the mark, but those are rare exceptions. These translations are poor at best, at worst diabolical.
Penguin is a distinguished publishing house. They have served many non-English speaking poets with some magnificent translations (e.g. of Montale, Celan, Neruda). Thus, it is sad to be so negative here. Yet, they persist in representing Rilke on their lists exclusively with this volume. This is surprising as there is some stiff competition. Rilke has been served brilliantly in recent years by translators such as Edward Snow, Stephen Cohn, Robert Bly, and best of all Stephen Mitchell (who even manages to reproduce some of the rhymes in English). All their translations fortunately easily available. I suggest readers seeking to know Rilke read those volumes and forget about this one.
Penguin is a distinguished publishing house. They have served many non-English speaking poets with some magnificent translations (e.g. of Montale, Celan, Neruda). Thus, it is sad to be so negative here. Yet, they persist in representing Rilke on their lists exclusively with this volume. This is surprising as there is some stiff competition. Rilke has been served brilliantly in recent years by translators such as Edward Snow, Stephen Cohn, Robert Bly, and best of all Stephen Mitchell (who even manages to reproduce some of the rhymes in English). All their translations fortunately easily available. I suggest readers seeking to know Rilke read those volumes and forget about this one.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Compare Leishman's final lines to the famous SPANISH DANCER, whose dance ignites a flame, with those of Stephen Mitchell. Both are good. Mitchell writes:
Till, moving with total confidence and a sweet
exultant smile, she looks up finally
and stamps it out with powerful small feet.'
Leishman writes:
She, though, inflexible and with a sweet
saluting smile, looks up victoriously
and stamps it out with little steadfast feet.
I would never wish to be without this Leishman version. Certainly he is quirky and eccentric. He also has a passion and enthusiasm about him that overrides the oddity. For the price it is a great bargain, and will open your eyes to aspects of Rilke missed by almost all other versions I have come across.
Till, moving with total confidence and a sweet
exultant smile, she looks up finally
and stamps it out with powerful small feet.'
Leishman writes:
She, though, inflexible and with a sweet
saluting smile, looks up victoriously
and stamps it out with little steadfast feet.
I would never wish to be without this Leishman version. Certainly he is quirky and eccentric. He also has a passion and enthusiasm about him that overrides the oddity. For the price it is a great bargain, and will open your eyes to aspects of Rilke missed by almost all other versions I have come across.
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