Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1929-01-17
By G. L. Edholm
MONTANAN GETS
HIGH ACCLAIM
CLARENCE X. STREET, FORMERLY OF
HELENA. WINS RECOGNITION IN
LITERARY WORLD

Clarence X. STREET., formerly of Hell
ena, a Montana boy, and a graduate of
the journalism chOOl of the Uniyer-
stty of Montana, has received national
recognition for achievement in the lit
erary world. The magazine section of
the New York Times OF Dec. 23 carried
n review of 1.-THE adaptation into Eng
fish of a portion of the 'Divan Of
Hafz,'" by Mr.. STREET.. The review says:
THE author has taken the trans,ations
of authoritative Persian scholars, and his
work. to use his own words Is an at
tempt to transfuse into English rubiyat
the spirit of the poet"
During the summer of 1916 Mr.. STREET.
was a field assistant with the United
States public survey under j. Scott Har-
rison n in 1917 was appointed a transit
man. He is we'll known throughout the
state. Upon his graduation at Missoula
he was awarded a Rhodes scholarship.
He vas attending oxford college in Eng
land at the time America entered the
World war. Joining the American Ex-
p~editionary forces he was appointed a
lieutenant in the intelligence service
with headquarters in Paris. At the time
OF the signing OF the Versailles treaty
he was detailed as an attache with the
intelligence service and attended confer
ences.
hStolQlllS 10 MI. 11dlTiSOIl he HIS DttIl
connected with the staff OF the New
York Times and when last heard from
he was a correspondent in Europe with
headquarters in Vienna. Mr.. STREET. has
travelled extensively in Europe and
Africa. He was a press representative on
a French expedition into the interior of
Algiers some time ago.
In covering the work Of Mr., STREET.. the
Times declares that his translation Of
Hafiz may be placed beside the literary
work of Edward FITZGERALD famous Eng
lish poet and translator, who lived from
1903 to 1883. He Is famous for his trans
lation of Omar Khayyam. ancient Per-
sian poet. Haiz, who lived 200 years
after Omar, is on a par with Omar for
poetic beauty, the Times says. FitzGer-
AIDS fame may be judged from the fact
with Thackeray. Carlyle and Tennyson.
among the greatest literary lights In
English history.
OF Mr.. Streit's TRANSACTIONS. the Times
says in part:
"Mr. STREET., instead Of doing violence
to his poet, has distilled the ever deli
cate perfume of the original even further.
And as it is a stanza form susceptible in
English to manipulation into extreme
beauty, Mr.. STREET. can be regarded as we'll
advised in adopting 1t. If this note has
seemed over technical, it has been inter
polated for those readers familiar with
renditions of Hafz In other form who
might be puzzled by finding the Persian
poet in strange dress.
whether Omar was the greater poet
of the two, or Hafz, has long been ar
gued-and will long be argued. Omar,
no doubt, was more specifically pictorial;
and for that reason FitzGerald's stanzas
have a certain vividness which Streit's
have not. But in pure loneliness, in
hat quintessence of beauty which is
wholly Oriental, and Is never even mo
mentarily by the most subtle
of western poets in their own work Mr.
STREET., imbued by Hafiz's very spirit one
must believe, has wrought astonishingly
"Mr. STREET. is not far, If at all, behind
FITZGERALD in creating a delectable gar.
den OF Persian roses, where the nighten.
gale sings and beautiful damsels bring
to hose athirst for beauty the wine OF
poetic exaltation n surcease."