Threadsuns (Sun & Moon Classics: 122)

Rating:
Summary: Sharp, accurate translations
Review: Paul Celan is one of the greatest poets of the century, but also one of the most difficult to translate. His writing is incredibly condensed and full of difficult vocabulary, including numerous neologisms. Yet the poetry is so beautiful, so deeply rewarding that we should be grateful to anyone who attempts to translate it.

Perhaps we should be most grateful to Pierre Joris, the only translator I know of to tackle whole books by Celan, rather than making selections (such as the very fine selection by Michael Hamburger). Not only does Joris take on the complete books, but he has taken on two of the most difficult books -- Breathturn and, now, Threadsuns.

His translation of Breathturn was a stunning accomplishment, for he managed to stay both accurate and readable, or at least as readable as the original was to the average reader of German when it first appeared. All of the great qualities displayed in Breathturn are also on display in Threadsuns.

Joris provides a comprehensive introduction to the book and many helpful notes along the way. The German originals of the poems are provided on the left-hand pages. The production quality is high -- the book is beautifully designed. This is not the best introduction to Celan (for that, see either Michael Hamburger's or John Felstiner's selections from his complete works), but if you want to get to know Celan better, and if you want to really sink your mind's teeth into the marrow of his dreamworlds, then Joris's translations are what you want to read.

Rating:
Summary: Sharp, accurate translations
Review: Paul Celan is one of the greatest poets of the century, but also one of the most difficult to translate. His writing is incredibly condensed and full of difficult vocabulary, including numerous neologisms. Yet the poetry is so beautiful, so deeply rewarding that we should be grateful to anyone who attempts to translate it.

Perhaps we should be most grateful to Pierre Joris, the only translator I know of to tackle whole books by Celan, rather than making selections (such as the very fine selection by Michael Hamburger). Not only does Joris take on the complete books, but he has taken on two of the most difficult books -- Breathturn and, now, Threadsuns.

His translation of Breathturn was a stunning accomplishment, for he managed to stay both accurate and readable, or at least as readable as the original was to the average reader of German when it first appeared. All of the great qualities displayed in Breathturn are also on display in Threadsuns.

Joris provides a comprehensive introduction to the book and many helpful notes along the way. The German originals of the poems are provided on the left-hand pages. The production quality is high -- the book is beautifully designed. This is not the best introduction to Celan (for that, see either Michael Hamburger's or John Felstiner's selections from his complete works), but if you want to get to know Celan better, and if you want to really sink your mind's teeth into the marrow of his dreamworlds, then Joris's translations are what you want to read.