New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-01-09
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
TRANSACTIONS.

",.t 1..,a.rts' t,,,t Srrs
g. n0 rGAGInA BY tRtz GSu1 III s ROBERTS dl
ro,hcIs.
Goethc's "WeSt -Fastcrly Tor, as we should
r. er 90 translate H. west EASTERN DVm' is one OF ms
most rlaar5sh.c works when consider the circru
stances tudog which IL was written the age OF t"e
author. and the contrasts of tone and temperament
which rrCscu;s II Is such vigorous reblossom n %
nu old tree as hardly finds parallel IN the history o
literature Although suggested - Won Hammers trans
aiion H8Hz, II lad the attraction ana fofce OF an
original German creation Il gave new inspiration 70
much 81 Xii kcTi's ana Count Won Platens poetry ana
even left it's impress upon RENE With tie exception
Wcrihcr, probably IothDS that Goethe wrote pro
duced such a profound and widespread IN
nuencc upon tie literature of the tine. ih' west
Eastern DiyaG Is collection ot brief poems ORIENTAL ID
feature but in form lyrical or ddacue dith! fah"1
or grave according The changing moods OF the poet
Tncy are diviCej into twelve books, with Persian miles,
illumination uf Hsiz. The work includes number OF
brief ep,granmate poems which Goethe according 10
his custom inclucd the sole reason that he ad no
other place for thcm hut most of the lyrics are Irl %
rich Eastern glow and anguor. which ever and anon
eoos into u sobef, II Hective tone MI Weiss has under
taken most diicult task, in transatms he enu'' ""N
without any impurtaut change VI meter. lie mas Deer
forced to master only the form, with all It's su"l'
variations also the compact and frequently involved
thought Of the original In many % the h.IeIer pieces
the whole meaning presented IL Single point IL Inc
concluding lmc and this must De retained whatever DC
III. labor exacied Taking the translation a. Th0l II
Is admirably done the atmosphere, quality ac PEI
vadng spin: o. tue HOIk ale Thoroughly PIT
served, aud some oil tho most difficult OF t"e
poems are rendered with very great skill The
didactic portions arc the best: miss the soness
and sweetness Goc;he's touches Of feeling aud lma
nation Occasionally also, tie exigeneics OF meter and
rhvme havc compelled the translator to give quite an
fercnt ccor!ng to the authors thought. Now and men,
ind a mistake which must be an oversight, Tor N.Y.
Weiss is Az accomplished scholar. THIS ID the poeI"
"An- Quckcning," in Book l., the wOrd Aacke "a gnaD
has heeu hastily read GE.e "a carl and Is Translated
"turban.' IN the opening poem OF Book Ill BoteHaH
Is made old instead c Djcmil. Ttaken TO beckopj ls
TRANSLATED nod" and eJrischeh is two or three times
very mpcrgecily rendered by "to tncle." We should
hke to have GO,the's pointed allusion to himself
mentioned in the poem +" Hatem" Of Book VIII. In the
third ssnza the rhyme pUrposey omitted IN order to
Indicate tic name GOetae where Hdtem Is used MI
Weiss introduction and notes are prepared with care
and knowledge and of great service to the reader
Full justice rendered TO Fran Won WiHemel, Tie
"sueika" of tic Diran and her slight share IN the
poems and there one hut will thank The translator
for having added the magnificent Arab poem of the ie
OF Mohammed. This is perfectly expressed Tut 1t Is 100
lcng 10 quote. The follow NJ perhaps Of the best
Specimens from the DirGa itself:
FOUR FAvOBs.
That Arabs DER the waste OF fand
My wander naDry-hearted.
Has Alah for their comfort piann'd
And iuyOrs four Impaired
The Tnr}au first, such grace hes not
Al Iucuarchs crowns together;
Tent unpcgs'd rom every SPOT
To roam without "a tetEer
Sword no cas- e with defense
So CALAMITY can g}lstcn
A Som. for all tie days intCnts-
To which the maidens listen
H,r shawl beneath does not deuur,
sit. the fOwer-coInmeHder,
Sic knows well what belongs u her,
Is bhc 10 me ana tender
RIsht daintily on fowers and fIait
know how t. rtgde youi
Will have mOFaiitle~ To boot
The freshest shall not fail yor
Miss Frotliucham has had fewer difficulties to en-
counter than Mr. Weiss. in her translation Of GnUpar-
ser's "sappho" Eut she has also mpIehonded the
bigher necessity which involves labor no less than Tho
trre instinct Of preserving the characteristic style and
quality the poet Griparzers i2ine was OF very slo"
growth. owing to the OF classic repose which he
sought TO mpar his dramas, the restraint which be
lad upon his ina ginatoD, and the chase purity OF his
djction He occupies place in literature which secns
TO be somewhere between tie level of TalfOurds Ion
md SIR Henry TaylOr's Philip van Artevelde"-nevcr
falling to the comparatively tame correctness of The
former quite reaching the lofty sustained strength
or the latter His SapphO is an excellent illustration
nj h qcu,us although as a drama we should decidedly
place 1t below his "Ahnfrau." 1t fulhlls the classic
untcs in every rcspectther being but single scene
and the action not exceeding tWcnty-iour hours
vet the Greek tradition is informed with
anew tongue. Ii is ike changing the severe symmetry
of the figures on an antique rge into the easy grace Of
Renaissance CuIids. Miss buckingham has been re-
markably successful in reproducing this quality OF th'
original Her blank verse ia the English equivalent Of
Grliparzers German and size has dcxterOusly con-
ceaed The traces her labor that the translation reads
Ike an original work. Tho appearance OF two such
works AZ this and Mr. WEISS translation OF Gceter
"West-Easiern Dvan in the week. Immediately
following the Hocombs' version Of Tegners "Fnthiufs
SAGA" IL a most welcome indication of an increase o
literary intelligence and consequent hberaity OF inter
est among American readers. We quote Miss FrotbiuS-
hams rendering sappho's sOoQuy, after discovering
tic tTca;hery of PbaoD:
The bow has spTung;-
dressing her hands upon her bredsil
the arrow hit the mark.
What room for further doubt all is too cicar.
rI1s -he who wells within his PICTURED breast;
Her shape that floats before his shameless eyes;
They take her image all those httteTlng dreams
That hover couch Of the decclve-.
Sappho fClsaken and Der slave prefeTedl
FuiStl;en who We heavens. a. Il by whom!
Am ! that S.lppbo who beheid
KneS her feet played with their proncred crowns,
Saw, head tie anglty snitoTs ana dismissed tAeIrE
No more that S.pphO WHO with aeclalna!lOD
All Greece his hailed as its most precious treasured
Fool that was to leave The radiant nights,
Where MUSES. While stars make harmony,
And o descend into this narrow vale
where filsen dwtls and poverty and erIne.
NJ place there above, lnCig me clouds:
Here ia no room for sept the gave.
He whom tHe gods have chosen for their own
May net con ont with cItiZ III OF earth:
Ire mortal lot and heavenly re'cr can mlngie
In the zane cup; choose hctwecn them
Hast thOu once chosen til Re is no rccedng;
One taste of tdt immortal iIIllt o! fame,
Like 10 PTo-eTpina'= p0meSran3te seeds,
Rdnks i1fc} with the quiet shades,
And 10 Tie LIVING thou bc.Ons'st no more