On Translation

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On Translation (Thinking in Action) by Paul Ricoeur

Editorial Reviews

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One of the most distinguished and prolific philosophers of his generation.
.
–The Daily Telegraph

Review
One of the most distinguished and prolific philosophers of his generation.
.
–The Daily Telegraph

Product Description
Paul Ricoeur is described in the Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy as "one of the leading French philosophers of the second half of the twentieth century." This little book collects his thoughts on the subject of translation, and is vintage Ricoeur. He uses the topic to reflect on some of the perennial problems posed by translation, including the transmission of early Greek philosophy to the Renaissance, interpretations of the Bible amongst diverse religious traditions (no small issue at the moment), and the way translations of the same text reflect important cultural dynamics at work across different periods, leading to quite different meanings springing from the same book. There are also discussions of some contemporary figures, such as Umberto Eco, and the whole underscored by Ricoeur's point that there is a paradox at the hear of translation: impossible in theory but effective in practice.

Orhan Pamuk - Documentary

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A presentation of the life and work of Orhan Pamuk, 2006 Nobel Laureate in Literature.

Dylan Thomas - DO NOT GO

Dylan Thomas

DO NOT GO GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT

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Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light

The Ezra Pound Encyclopedia

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The Ezra Pound Encyclopedia

by Demetres P. Tryphonopoulos (Editor), Stephen J. Adams (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

More than 250 signed entries by almost 100 contributors present a range of topics from the life and writings of one of the literary giants of modernism. Many entries have bibliographies for further reading. Topics include the people who came in contact with Pound; his writings, poetics, interests, influences, and various aspects of his philosophy; and identity, including entries treating religion, sexuality and misogyny, fascism, racism and anti-Semitism. About 75 entries treat the people in Pound's life, including T. S. Eliot, Robert Frost, Allen Ginsberg, D. H. Lawrence, Marianne Moore, Rabindranath Tagore, and W. B. Yeats. Pound's interests and influences are discussed in entries on Chinese, English, French, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Russian and Slavic, and Spanish literature as well as Pound's translations. Significant attention is given to Pound's critical reception, divided by time period from 1908 to 2000. Most entries include a bibliography, and the encyclopedia portion of the book is followed by a selected bibliography of primary and secondary sources.

Although other reference works may provide information regarding many of the people and publications listed, one of the treats of the encyclopedia is its specificity. An example is the entry on Periplum, which details the derivation and use in The Cantos of one of Pound's "signature words." This is not to say the current work is without omission: there is no separate entry in the encyclopedia or the index for Imagism, for instance; the reader must know to go articles such as Critical reception: 1908-1920 and Des Imagistes. The Ezra Pound Encyclopedia is useful, given the author's sprawling body of work and influence, but walks a line between reference, given its arrangement, and circulating collections, given its specificity. Perhaps it is best used alongside other standard reference works, including the Cambridge Companions, Oxford Companions, and the Encyclopedia of Literary Modernism (Greenwood, 2003). Recommended for academic and large public libraries. Joseph Thomas
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
Edited by two Pound scholars, this encyclopedia aims not only "to provide materials to help orient new readers of Pound and Modernism but also to refresh even experienced readers." For the most part, this work achieves its goals. Its strengths are providing brief summaries and the historical context for Pound's works. Other entries include key modernist figures and their relation to Pound, his family members, historical and literary eras, and Pound's controversial views on topics like fascism and anti-semitism. Topical entries, written mostly by scholars, range from a half page to three pages, and typically end with sources for further research. An extensive selected bibliography and an index appear at the end....[t]his resource provides a useful compass for navigating the difficult terrain of Pound's oeuvre and life. Recommended. Academic libraries supporting courses in modernism; upper-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers.Choice

While this encyclopedia barely touches the depths of an amazingly complex and prolific poet, it provides an excellent starting point and road map for further research. Recommended for academic libraries supporting undergraduate and graduate students of literature.Library Journal

[T]he entries ... are succinct, informative and well written... Value for money, The Ezra Pound Encyclopedia should be in all libraries collecting materials on twentieth century American, British and world literatures.Reference Reviews

The goal of the encyclopedia is to help orient new readers of Pound and Modernism, but at the same time to refresh even experienced readers, by limiting the number of articles to the most important and informative and referring readers to more specialized works for further study of any particular aspect. All of his major works are cited, along with such other topics as Anglo-Saxon translation, architecture, Chinese literature, E.E. Cummings, economics, Faber and Faber (publishers), Allan Ginsburg, Ernest Hemingway, Italian literature, law and social justice, and misogyny.Reference & Research Book News

[A] recommended pick for specialty college collections: Pound's work changed the course of poetry and made him one of the 20th century's greatest writers, and here are hundreds of A-Z entries referencing his works, influences, and interests. About a hundred expert contributors provide entries perfect for quick reference, many quite detailed and lengthy, which will also lend to student papers.MBR Bookwatch

Although other reference works may provide information regarding many of the people and publications listed, one of the treats of the encyclopedia is its specificity. An example is the entry on Periplum, which details the the derivation and use in The Cantos of one of Pound's "signature words."...The Ezra Pound Encyclopedia is useful, given the author's sprawling body of work and influence....Recommended for academic and large public libraries.Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin

[E]ncompasses the life, influences, and writings of this controversial American modernist poet.C&RL News

Product Description
Ezra Pound forever changed the course of poetry. His vast body of poetry and critical works make him one of the 20th century's most prolific writers, and his influence has shaped later poets, great and small. His enormous range of references, deliberate obscurity, and use of multiple languages make him one of the most difficult authors and-- because of his Fascism, anti-Semitism, and questionable sanity--one of the most controversial figures in American literary history. This encyclopedia is a concise yet comprehensive guide to his life and writings. Included are more than 250 alphabetically arranged entries on Pound's acquaintances, publications, and interests, including:

Olivia Rossetti Agresti

Arabic History

Catholic Anthology

Chinese Literature

Dance

Des Imagistes

Hilda Doolittle

Thomas Stearns Eliot

Fascist Quarterly

Robert Frost

Homage to Sextus Propertius

James Joyce

And many others. The entries are written by roughly 100 expert contributors and cite works for further reading. In addition, the encyclopedia closes with a selected, general bibliography.

About the Author
DEMETRES P. TRYPHONOPOULOS is Professor of English at the University of New Brunswick. He is the author of The Celestial Tradition: A Study of Ezra Pound's Cantos (1992), and has coedited Literary Modernism and the Occult Tradition (1996), and "I Cease Not to Yowl": Ezra Pound's Letters to Olivia Rossetti Agresti (1998). STEPHEN J. ADAMS is Professor of English at the University of Western Ontario. He has published on Pound's music and prosody, and his books include R. Murray Schafer (1984), and Poetic Designs: An Introduction to English Meters, Verse Forms, and Figures of Speech (1997).

The Literary Absolute

The Literary Absolute: The Theory of Literature in German Romanticism by Philippe Lacoue-Labarthe, Jean-Luc Nancy

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Dada Culture: Critical Texts on the Avant-Garde

Dada Culture: Critical Texts on the Avant-Garde
by Dafydd Jones

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Book Description
How Dada is to break its cultural accommodation and containment today necessitates thinking the historical instances through revised application of critical and theoretical models. The volume Dada Culture: Critical Texts on the Avant-Garde moves precisely by this motive, bringing together writings which insist upon the continuity of the early twentieth century moment now at the start of the twenty-first. Engaging the complex and contradictory nature of Dada strategies, instanced in the linguistic gaming and performativity of the movement’s initial formation, and subsequently isolating the specific from the general with essays focusing on Ball, Tzara, Serner, Hausmann, Dix, Heartfield, Schwitters, Baader, Cravan and the exemplary Duchamp, the political philosophy of the avant-garde is brought to bear upon our own contemporary struggle through critical theory to comprehend the cultural usefulness, relevance, validity and effective (or otherwise) oppositionality of Dada’s infamous anti-stance.

The volume is presented in sections that progressively point towards the expanding complexity of the contemporary engagement with Dada, as what is often exhaustive historical data is forced to rethink, realign and reconfigure itself in response to the analytical rigour and exercise of later twentieth-century animal anarchic thought, the testing and cultural placement of thoughts upon the virtual, and the eventual implications for the once blissfully unproblematic idea of expression. From the opening, provocative proposition that historically Dada may have been the falsest of all false paths, the volume rounds to dispute such condemnation as demarcation continues not only of Dada’s embeddedness in western culture, but more precisely of the location of Dada culture.

Ten critical essays – by Cornelius Partsch, John Wall, T. J. Demos, Anna Schaffner, Martin I. Gaughan, Curt Germundson, Stephen C. Foster, Dafydd Jones, Joel Freeman and David Cunningham – are supplemented by the critical bibliography prepared by Timothy Shipe, which documents the past decade of Dada scholarship, and in so doing provides a valuable resource for all those engaged in Dada studies today.

Christian Attitudes toward the Jews in the Middle Ages

Christian Attitudes toward the Jews in the Middle Ages: A Casebook by Michael Frassetto (Editor)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Drawing from an equally wide range of sources-sermons, polemical texts, theological treatises, hagiographical and devotional works, and histories-the volume demonstrates the emergence of a profoundly negative image of the Jews that established many of the stereotypes of classic Christian anti-Semitism. The volume, in particular, argues that the essential turning point in relations between Christians and Jews occurred in the eleventh century, especially the early eleventh century when the first wave of persecutions of the Jews took place. Note on non teleological nature of development although the prominent theme explored in this volume is the emergence of the medieval anti-Jewish tradition, several chapters will show that open hostility toward the Jews and the development of negative stereotypes of the Jew were not the only components of Jewish and Christian relations during the High Middle Ages. Indeed, in its investigation into a broad range of secular and theological sources, this volume reveals not only the emergence of a Christian anti-Jewish tradition in the Middle Ages but also reveals a more open and positive understanding that some medieval writers had of the Jews and their place in history and society.
Like other volumes in the Routledge Medieval Casebooks series, this book will be produced in hardback only, and will be aimed primarily at academic libraries with Medieval Studies, Religion, and Jewish Studies collection

Authority and Asceticism from Augustine to Gregory the Great

Authority and Asceticism from Augustine to Gregory the Great
by Conrad Leyser (Author)

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Editorial Reviews

Review
`L.'s approach and his conclusions represent a subtle departure from traditional studies of this period. His use of discourse analysis and the examinatiion of authority through discourse offer new perspectives for interpreting the frequently dismissed language of the ascetic community.' Theological Studies, vol.62, no.4

Product Description
When barbarians invaded the Roman Empire in the years around 400 AD, Christian monks hid in their cloisters--or so it is often assumed. Conrad Leyser shows that monks in the early medieval West were, in fact, pioneers in the creation of a new language of moral authority. He describes the
making of this tradition over two centuries from St. Augustine to St. Benedict and Gregory the Great.

About the Author
Conrad Leyser is at the University of Manchester.

War and Peace in the Ancient World

War and Peace in the Ancient World

by Kurt A. Raaflaub (Author)

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Editorial Reviews

Review
"This volume brings together an unparalleled wealth of evidence. It combines close analysis of the workings of international relations with generous quotation of sources which illuminate a staggering variety of attitudes to war and peace. Anyone who still believes that the quest for peace is a modern phenomenon is in for a surprise. There is something fascinating and eye-opening here for every reader."
Hans van Wees, University College London

"An outstanding collection of essays by an extraordinary group of scholars from around the world. The depth and variety of expertise represented here is formidable. Required reading for students of war and diplomacy in antiquity."
Barry Strauss, Cornell University, author of The Trojan War: A New History

“This volume is most valuable in that it broadens the…perspective of most American historians of the ancient world…always well-written, jargon-free and stimulating.”
New England Classical Journal

“The contributions provide a diverse array of perspectives on ancient warfare and peacemaking.”
Journal of Military History

“Raaflaub succeeds in a fascinating tour of the main issues and topics covered in the volume.”
Bryn Mawr Classical Review

Product Description
This book is the first to focus on war and peace in the ancient world from a global perspective.

• The first book to focus on war and peace in the ancient world
  
• Takes a global perspective, covering a large number of early civilizations, from China, India and West Asia, through the Mediterranean to the Americas
  
• Features contributions from nineteen distinguished scholars, all of whom are experts in their fields
  
• Offers remarkable insights into the different ways in which ancient societies dealt with a common human challenge
  
• Requires no prior historical knowledge, making it suitable for non-specialists

Guide to Post-Structuralism and Postmodernism

An Introductory Guide to Post-Structuralism and Postmodernism
by Madan Sarup (Author)

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Customer Reviews

Sarup's book gives an excellent comprehensive introduction to two of the most prevelant theories/philosophies of literary and cultural criticism. Poststructuralism and Postmodernism are not easy concepts to get a grip on, but Sarup's book will help anyone interested. It is a necessity for anyone who wants to better understand the culture that we all participate in every day. The book outlines the key concepts of the major thinkers of poststructuralism (Derrida, Barthes, Lacan, Foucault) and postmodernism (Lyotard, Baudrillard, Jameson). It deals with concepts such as deconstruction, psychoanalysis, the relationship between power and history, hyperreality, etc. I recommend it for any student of literature as well as anyone interested in the increasingly popular field of cultural criticism.

The Rabelais Encyclopedia

The Rabelais Encyclopedia
by Elizabeth Chesney Zegura (Editor)

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Review
Zegura's encyclopedia condenses and organizes the vast critical literature about Rabelais' work and time. The encyclopedia is carefully constructed, clearly written, and well edited. More than 70 researchers around the world--established Rabelais scholars to newcomers--contribute articles of varying length on the characters, episodes, literary and philosophical movements, and political and religious figures of the time and the period's cultural manifestations in art, architecture, music, and printing. They also write concise introductions to some of the critical perspectives and methodologies scholars have used in approaching Rabelais' work....Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and higher.Choice

Specialty college-level holdings on French literature or Renaissance history will find The Rabelais Encyclopedia a specialized yet important addition, providing in-depth coverage of five books written between 1532 and 1553 which rivaled the works of Shakespeare in their time. Rabelais is read in numerous courses on French literature and Renaissance history, so this will prove indispensable for such a collection.Internet Bookwatch

Product Description
The French humanist Rabelais (ca. 1483-1553) was the greatest French writer of the Renaissance and one of the most influential authors of all time. His Gargantua and Pantagruel, written in five books between 1532 and 1553, rivals the works of Shakespeare and Cervantes in terms of artistry, complexity of ideas and expression, and historical importance. Rabelais is read in numerous courses in French Literature, Renaissance Studies, and Western Civilization, and his writings continue to attract the attention of scholars and general readers alike. The first work of its kind, this encyclopedia is a comprehensive guide to his life and writings. Included are several hundred alphabetically arranged entries by expert contributors. These entries discuss his characters, his overt and veiled references to historical and Renaissance figures and events, his literary and philosophical allusions, his major themes, and the key events and influences that shaped his career. The entries cover such topics as education, religion, censors and censorship, humanism, death, and warfare. Entries cite works for further reading, and the encyclopedia closes with a selected, general bibliography.

About the Author
ELIZABETH CHESNEY ZEGURA is Associate Professor of French and Italian at the University of Arizona. Her previous books include The Countervoyage of Rabelais and Ariosto (1982) and Rabelais Revisited (1993).

The Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Language

The Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Language

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Review
“A superb collection of essays by a virtual who’s who of the philosophy of language today…the articles clearly and helpfully sum up the state of play without erasing their authors’ distinctive perspectives.” Paul Boghossian, New York University

“Devitt and Hanley have assembled a superb list of contributors. They are all leading authorities on their topics, and together they offer an absolutely up-to-date analysis of current issues in the philosophy of language. This is the first book I would choose for a course on this subject.” David Papineau, King’s College London

Product Description
The Blackwell Guide to Philosophy of Language is a collection of twenty new essays in a cutting-edge and wide-ranging field.

Surveys central issues in contemporary philosophy of language while examining foundational topics

Provides pedagogical tools such as abstracts and suggestions for further readings

Topics addressed include the nature of meaning, speech acts and pragmatics, figurative language, and naturalistic theories of reference

From the Back Cover
The Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Language is a collection of 20 new essays by internationally renowned scholars. Each contribution offers an authoritative survey of a central topic in philosophy of language, often accompanied by useful suggestions for further reading; the volume also has a large and insightful bibliography at the end. Included are chapters on analyticity, anaphora, conditionals, descriptions, formal semantics, indexicals and demonstratives, kind terms, metaphor, names, propositional attitude ascriptions, speech acts, truth, and vagueness. An introduction by the editors sets the stage for extended treatments of theories of meaning and reference, and an investigation of foundational issues.

Suitable for upper-level undergraduate and graduate survey courses, The Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Language is an invaluable resource for students and professional philosophers alike.

About the Author
Michael Devitt is a Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He is the author of Designation (1981), Coming to Our Senses: A Naturalistic Program for Semantic Localism (1995), Realism and Truth (1997), and Language and Reality: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Language (with Kim Sterelny, 1999).

Richard Hanley is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Delaware. He is the author of The Metaphysics of Star Trek (1997, reprinted in paperback as Is Data Human?), as well as articles in metaphysics and philosophy of language.

The Gnostic Bible

The Gnostic Bible (Paperback)
by Willis Barnstone (Editor), Marvin Meyer (Editor)

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From Publishers Weekly
This book may well be the most comprehensive collection of Gnostic materials ever gathered in one volume. After a dry introduction to current debates about gnosticism (by Meyer) and a luminous, marvelously literary introduction to issues of translation (by Barnstone), the bulk of the text is taken up with primary sources, which are drawn from three continents and span an astonishing 13 centuries. These are helpfully organized into various schools of Gnostic tradition: Sethian, Valentinian, Syrian, Hermetic, Mandaean, Manichaean, and--in an unusual move--relatively late Islamic and Cathar texts. Each grouping of texts is preceded by a brief introduction to that particular section's brand of Gnosticism. What is clear from this sourcebook is the tremendous diversity of thought that exists under the "Gnostic" umbrella, including Christian, Jewish, Muslim, pagan, Zoroastrian and Greco-Roman themes. Many of the texts are being published here in English for the first time, making this a valuable resource for students and scholars.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
"This book may well be the most comprehensive collection of gnostic materials ever gathered in one volume. What is clear from the sourcebook is the tremendous diversity of thought that exists under the 'gnostic' umbrella including Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Pagan, Zoroastrian, and Greco-Roman themes. A valuable resource for students and scholars."—Publishers Weekly

“The selection of texts ranges across two millennia and various cultures. Each work, some translated into English for the first time, is accompanied by a clear introduction and synopsis. This is an important sampler of relatively unknown spiritual literature.”—Library Journal

“To read The Gnostic Bible is to witness something astonishing. . . . I read it with dizzy excitement.”—Ian Cant, Ascent Magazine

“A Godsend for anyone interested in alternative Christianity, the history of Christianity, or spirituality in general.”—Turk’s Head Review

Product Description
A landmark work of scholarship and literary translation, The Gnostic Bible presents the most significant and beautiful sacred texts of gnostic mysticism. The gnostics were religious thinkers who believed that salvation is found through mystical knowledge and personal religious experience. Gnostic writings offer striking perspectives on both early Christian and non-Christian thought. Dating from the first to the thirteenth centuries, the selections in this volume represent Jewish, Christian, Hermetic, Mandaean, Manichaean, Islamic, and Cathar forms of gnostic spirituality, and their sources include Egypt, the Greco-Roman world, the Middle East, Syria, Iraq, China, and France. These texts show that gnosticism was a world religion that sought truths in a wide variety of traditions and expressed those truths in powerful and provocative mystical poetry and prose. This is the first time that such a diverse collection of ancient gnostic texts has been published in a single volume, and many of the texts have never before been translated into English.

Inside Flap Copy
Gnosticism was a wide-ranging religious movement of the first millennium ce?with earlier antecedents and later flourishings?whose adherents sought salvation through knowledge and personal religious experience. Gnostic writings offer striking perspectives on both early Christian and non-Christian thought. For example, some gnostic texts suggest that god should be celebrated as both mother and father, and the self-knowledge is the supreme path to the divine. Only in the past fifty years has it become clear how far the gnostic influence spread in ancient and medieval religions?and what a marvelous body of scriptures it produced.
This is the first time that such a rich and diverse collection of gnostic texts have been brought together in a single volume, in translations that allow the spirit of the original texts to shine. The selections gathered here, in poetic, readable translation, represent Jewish, Christian, Hermetic, Mandaean, Manichaean, Islamic, and Cathar expressions of gnostic spirituality. Their regions of origin include Egypt, the Greco-Roman world, the Middle East, Syria, Iraq, China, and France. Also included are introductions, notes, an extensive glossary, and a wealth of suggestions for further reading. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author
Willis Barnstone, Ph.D., former O'Connor Professor of Greek at Colgate University, is Distinguished Professor of Comparative Literature and is in the Institute of Biblical and Literary Studies at Indiana University. A Guggenheim Fellow, poet, scholar, and memoirist, his many books include The Poetics of Translation, The Other Bible, The New Covenant, With Borges on an Ordinary Evening in Buenos Aires, Life Watch, and Border of a Dream: The Poems of Antonio Machado. He has received numerous awards for his work, among them the Emily Dickinson Award, the W. H. Auden Award, and a PEN/Book-of-the-Month-Club Special Citation for translation.

Marvin Meyer, Ph.D., is Griset Professor of Bible and Christian Studies at Chapman University, Orange, California, and is one of the foremost scholars of Coptic and gnostic studies at work today. He is Director of the Albert Schweitzer Institute, a fellow of the Jesus Seminar, and a Pacific Coast regional past president of the Society of Biblical Literature. He is the author of numerous books, including Ancient Christian Magic, The Gospel of Thomas, Secret Gospels, Jesus Then and Now, The Magical Book of Mary and the Angels, and The Ancient Mysteries. Dr. Meyer appears frequently in documentary television programs for ABC, BBC, A&E, and the History Channel. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Byzantine Philosophy and Its Ancient Sources (Paperback)

Byzantine Philosophy and Its Ancient Sources (Paperback)

by Katerina Ierodiakonou (Editor)

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Review

"...the present collection of essays is most welcome...all of the contributions are valuable studies...audiences will benefit from the bibliographies appended to each of the contributions...the book draws well-deserved attention to a too little known period in the history of Western philosophy."--
Michael Tkacz, Gonzaga University

Product Description

Byzantine philosophy is an almost unexplored field. Being regarded either as mere scholars or as primarily religious thinkers, Byzantine philosophers have not been studied on their own philosophical merit. The eleven contributions in this volume, which cover most periods of Byzantine culture from the 4th to the 15th century, for the first time systematically investigate the attitude the Byzantines took towards the views of ancient philosophers, to uncover the distinctive character of Byzantine thought.

Иосиф Бродский - Большая элегия Джону Донну

Иосиф Бродский

Большая элегия Джону Донну

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Джон Донн уснул, уснуло все вокруг.
Уснули стены, пол, постель, картины,
уснули стол, ковры, засовы, крюк,
весь гардероб, буфет, свеча, гардины.
Уснуло все. Бутыль, стакан, тазы,
хлеб, хлебный нож, фарфор, хрусталь, посуда,
ночник, бельЈ, шкафы, стекло, часы,
ступеньки лестниц, двери. Ночь повсюду.
Повсюду ночь: в углах, в глазах, в белье,
среди бумаг, в столе, в готовой речи,
в ее словах, в дровах, в щипцах, в угле
остывшего камина, в каждой вещи.
В камзоле, башмаках, в чулках, в тенях,
за зеркалом, в кровати, в спинке стула,
опять в тазу, в распятьях, в простынях,
в метле у входа, в туфлях. Все уснуло.
Уснуло все. Окно. И снег в окне.
Соседней крыши белый скат. Как скатерть
ее конек. И весь квартал во сне,
разрезанный оконной рамой насмерть.
Уснули арки, стены, окна, всЈ.
Булыжники, торцы, решетки, клумбы.
Не вспыхнет свет, не скрипнет колесо...
Ограды, украшенья, цепи, тумбы.
Уснули двери, кольца, ручки, крюк,
замки, засовы, их ключи, запоры.
Нигде не слышен шепот, шорох, стук.
Лишь снег скрипит. Все спит. Рассвет не скоро.
Уснули тюрьмы, за'мки. Спят весы
средь рыбной лавки. Спят свиные туши.
Дома, задворки. Спят цепные псы.
В подвалах кошки спят, торчат их уши.
Спят мыши, люди. Лондон крепко спит.
Спит парусник в порту. Вода со снегом
под кузовом его во сне сипит,
сливаясь вдалеке с уснувшим небом.
Джон Донн уснул. И море вместе с ним.
И берег меловой уснул над морем.
Весь остров спит, объятый сном одним.
И каждый сад закрыт тройным запором.
Спят клены, сосны, грабы, пихты, ель.
Спят склоны гор, ручьи на склонах, тропы.
Лисицы, волк. Залез медведь в постель.
Наносит снег у входов нор сугробы.
И птицы спят. Не слышно пенья их.
Вороний крик не слышен, ночь, совиный
не слышен смех. Простор английский тих.
Звезда сверкает. Мышь идет с повинной.
Уснуло всЈ. Лежат в своих гробах
все мертвецы. Спокойно спят. В кроватях
живые спят в морях своих рубах.
По одиночке. Крепко. Спят в объятьях.
Уснуло всЈ. Спят реки, горы, лес.
Спят звери, птицы, мертвый мир, живое.
Лишь белый снег летит с ночных небес.
Но спят и там, у всех над головою.
Спят ангелы. Тревожный мир забыт
во сне святыми -- к их стыду святому.
Геенна спит и Рай прекрасный спит.
Никто не выйдет в этот час из дому.
Господь уснул. Земля сейчас чужда.
Глаза не видят, слух не внемлет боле.
И дьявол спит. И вместе с ним вражда
заснула на снегу в английском поле.
Спят всадники. Архангел спит с трубой.
И кони спят, во сне качаясь плавно.
И херувимы все -- одной толпой,
обнявшись, спят под сводом церкви Павла.
Джон Донн уснул. Уснули, спят стихи.
Все образы, все рифмы. Сильных, слабых
найти нельзя. Порок, тоска, грехи,
равно тихи, лежат в своих силлабах.
И каждый стих с другим, как близкий брат,
хоть шепчет другу друг: чуть-чуть подвинься.
Но каждый так далек от райских врат,
так беден, густ, так чист, что в них -- единство.
Все строки спят. Спит ямбов строгий свод.
Хореи спят, как стражи, слева, справа.
И спит виденье в них летейских вод.
И крепко спит за ним другое -- слава.
Спят беды все. Страданья крепко спят.
Пороки спят. Добро со злом обнялось.
Пророки спят. Белесый снегопад
в пространстве ищет черных пятен малость.
Уснуло всЈ. Спят крепко толпы книг.
Спят реки слов, покрыты льдом забвенья.
Спят речи все, со всею правдой в них.
Их цепи спят; чуть-чуть звенят их звенья.
Все крепко спят: святые, дьявол, Бог.
Их слуги злые. Их друзья. Их дети.
И только снег шуршит во тьме дорог.
И больше звуков нет на целом свете.

Но чу! Ты слышишь -- там, в холодной тьме,
там кто-то плачет, кто-то шепчет в страхе.
Там кто-то предоставлен всей зиме.
И плачет он. Там кто-то есть во мраке.
Так тонок голос. Тонок, впрямь игла.
А нити нет... И он так одиноко
плывет в снегу. Повсюду холод, мгла...
Сшивая ночь с рассветом... Так высоко!
"Кто ж там рыдает? Ты ли, ангел мой,
возврата ждешь, под снегом ждешь, как лета,
любви моей?.. Во тьме идешь домой.
Не ты ль кричишь во мраке?" -- Нет ответа.
"Не вы ль там, херувимы? Грустный хор
напомнило мне этих слез звучанье.
Не вы ль решились спящий мой собор
покинуть вдруг? Не вы ль? Не вы ль?" -- Молчанье.
"Не ты ли, Павел? Правда, голос твой
уж слишком огрублен суровой речью.
Не ты ль поник во тьме седой главой
и плачешь там?" -- Но тишь летит навстречу.
"Не та ль во тьме прикрыла взор рука,
которая повсюду здесь маячит?
Не ты ль, Господь? Пусть мысль моя дика,
но слишком уж высокий голос плачет".
Молчанье. Тишь. -- "Не ты ли, Гавриил,
подул в трубу, а кто-то громко лает?
Но что ж лишь я один глаза открыл,
а всадники своих коней седлают.
ВсЈ крепко спит. В объятьях крепкой тьмы.
А гончие уж мчат с небес толпою.
Не ты ли, Гавриил, среди зимы
рыдаешь тут, один, впотьмах, с трубою?"

"Нет, это я, твоя душа, Джон Донн.
Здесь я одна скорблю в небесной выси
о том, что создала своим трудом
тяжелые, как цепи, чувства, мысли.
Ты с этим грузом мог вершить полет
среди страстей, среди грехов, и выше.
Ты птицей был и видел свой народ
повсюду, весь, взлетал над скатом крыши.
Ты видел все моря, весь дальний край.
И Ад ты зрел -- в себе, а после -- в яви.
Ты видел также явно светлый Рай
в печальнейшей -- из всех страстей -- оправе.
Ты видел: жизнь, она как остров твой.
И с Океаном этим ты встречался:
со всех сторон лишь тьма, лишь тьма и вой.
Ты Бога облетел и вспять помчался.
Но этот груз тебя не пустит ввысь,
откуда этот мир -- лишь сотня башен
да ленты рек, и где, при взгляде вниз,
сей страшный суд совсем не страшен.
И климат там недвижен, в той стране.
Откуда всЈ, как сон больной в истоме.
Господь оттуда -- только свет в окне
туманной ночью в самом дальнем доме.
Поля бывают. Их не пашет плуг.
Года не пашет. И века не пашет.
Одни леса стоят стеной вокруг,
а только дождь в траве огромной пляшет.
Тот первый дровосек, чей тощий конь
вбежит туда, плутая в страхе чащей,
на сосну взлезши, вдруг узрит огонь
в своей долине, там, вдали лежащей.
ВсЈ, всЈ вдали. А здесь неясный край.
Спокойный взгляд скользит по дальним крышам.
Здесь так светло. Не слышен псиный лай.
И колокольный звон совсем не слышен.
И он поймет, что всЈ -- вдали. К лесам
он лошадь повернет движеньем резким.
И тотчас вожжи, сани, ночь, он сам
и бедный конь -- всЈ станет сном библейским.
Ну, вот я плачу, плачу, нет пути.
Вернуться суждено мне в эти камни.
Нельзя прийти туда мне во плоти.
Лишь мертвой суждено взлететь туда мне.
Да, да, одной. Забыв тебя, мой свет,
в сырой земле, забыв навек, на муку
бесплодного желанья плыть вослед,
чтоб сшить своею плотью, сшить разлуку.
Но чу! пока я плачем твой ночлег
смущаю здесь, -- летит во тьму, не тает,
разлуку нашу здесь сшивая, снег,
и взад-вперед игла, игла летает.
Не я рыдаю -- плачешь ты, Джон Донн.
Лежишь один, и спит в шкафах посуда,
покуда снег летит на спящий дом,
покуда снег летит во тьму оттуда".

Подобье птиц, он спит в своем гнезде,
свой чистый путь и жажду жизни лучшей
раз навсегда доверив той звезде,
которая сейчас закрыта тучей.
Подобье птиц. Душа его чиста,
а светский путь, хотя, должно быть, грешен,
естественней вороньего гнезда
над серою толпой пустых скворешен.
Подобье птиц, и он проснется днем.
Сейчас -- лежит под покрывалом белым,
покуда сшито снегом, сшито сном
пространство меж душой и спящим телом.
Уснуло всЈ. Но ждут еще конца
два-три стиха и скалят рот щербато,
что светская любовь -- лишь долг певца,
духовная любовь -- лишь плоть аббата.
На чье бы колесо сих вод не лить,
оно все тот же хлеб на свете мелет.
Ведь если можно с кем-то жизнь делить,
то кто же с нами нашу смерть разделит?
Дыра в сей ткани. Всяк, кто хочет, рвет.
Со всех концов. Уйдет. Вернется снова.
Еще рывок! И только небосвод
во мраке иногда берет иглу портного.
Спи, спи, Джон Донн. Усни, себя не мучь.
Кафтан дыряв, дыряв. Висит уныло.
Того гляди и выглянет из туч
Звезда, что столько лет твой мир хранила.

7 марта 1963

Geoffrey Chaucer - the first Great English Poet

Geoffrey Chaucer - the first Great English Poet

BBC - In Our Time

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"In Southwark at the Tabard as I lay Redy to wenden on my pilgrymage To Canterbury with ful devout corage, At nyght was come into that hostelrye Wel nyne and twenty in a compaignye Of sundry folk, by aventure yfalle In felaweshipe, and pilgrims were they alle, That toward Canterbury wolden ryde."
Geoffrey Chaucer immortalised the medieval pilgrimage and the diversity of fourteenth century English society in his Canterbury Tales . As each pilgrim takes his, or her, turn to tell their tale on the road to Canterbury, Chaucer brings to life the voices of a knight, a miller, a Wife of Bath and many more besides.
Chaucer was born the son of a London vintner, yet rose to high office in the court of Richard II. He travelled throughout France and Italy where he came into contact with the works of Dante, Boccaccio, Machaut and Froissart. He translated Boethius, wrote dream poetry, a defence of women and composed the tragic masterpiece Troilus and Criseyde.
So what do we know of the man who is called the Father of English Literature? How did he introduce the themes of continental writing to an English speaking audience? And why does his poetry still seem to speak so directly to us today?

Contributors

Carolyne Larrington, Tutor in Medieval English at St John's College, Oxford
Helen Cooper, Professor of Medieval and Renaissance English at the University of Cambridge
Ardis Butterfield, Reader in English at University College London

M.H. Abrams - A Glossary of Literary Terms

A Glossary of Literary Terms (Paperback)

by M.H. Abrams (Author), Geoffrey Harpham (Author)

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Product Description

First published fifty years ago, A GLOSSARY OF LITERARY TERMS remains an essential text for all serious students of literature. Now fully updated to reflect the latest scholarship on recent and rapidly evolving critical theories, the ninth edition contains a complete glossary of essential literary terms presented as a series of engaging essays that explore the terms, place them in context, and suggest related entries and additional reading. This indispensable, authoritative, and highly affordable reference covers terms useful in discussing literature and literary history, theory, and criticism. Perfect as a core text for introductory literary theory or as a supplement to any literature course, this classic work is an invaluable reference that students can continue to use throughout their academic and professional careers.

About the Author

M. H. Abrams is a distinguished scholar who has written prize-winning books on eighteenth- and nineteenth-century literature, literary criticism, and European Romanticism. He also is General Editor for THE NORTON ANTHOLOGY OF ENGLISH LITERATURE. In addition, M. H. Abrams has been the recipient of Guggenheim, Ford Foundation, and Rockefeller Postwar fellowships and the Award for Literature by the American Academy of Arts and Letters (1990). Geoffrey Galt Harpham is the president and director of the National Humanities Center in North Carolina. He has written extensively in the fields of intellectual history and critical theory and on the work of Joseph Conrad. Among his books are THE ASCETIC IMPERATIVE IN CULTURE AND CRITICISM, ONE OF US: THE MASTERY OF JOSEPH CONRAD, SHADOWS OF ETHICS: CRITICISM AND THE JUST SOCIETY, and LANGUAGE ALONE: THE CRITICAL FETISH OF MODERNITY.

Shakespeare and the Origins of English

Shakespeare and the Origins of English (Paperback)
by Neil Rhodes (Author)

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Product Description

What existed before there was a subject known as English? How did English eventually come about? Focusing specifically on Shakespeare's role in the origins of the subject, Neil Rhodes addresses the evolution of English from the early modern period up to the late eighteenth century. He dealswith the kinds of literary and educational practices that would have formed Shakespeare's experience and shaped his work and traces the origins of English in certain aspects of the educational regime that existed before English literature became an established part of the curriculum. Rhodes thenpresents Shakespeare both as a product of Renaissance rhetorical teaching and as an agent of the transformation of English in the eighteenth century into the subject that emerged as the modern study of English. By transferring terms from contemporary disciplines, such as 'media studies' and "creative writing", or the technology of computing, to earlier cultural contexts Rhodes aims both to invite further reflection on the nature of the practices themselves, and also to offer new ways of thinking abouttheir relationship to the discipline of English. Shakespeare and the Origins of English attempts not only an explanation of where English came from, but suggests how some of the things that we do now in the name of "English" might usefully be understood in a wider historical perspective. Byextending our view of its past, we may achieve a clearer view of its future.

A Guide to Ancient Greek Drama (Blackwell Guides to Classical Literature) (Paperback)

by Ian C. Storey (Author), Arlene Allan (Author)

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Review

“This thoughtfully designed guide not only provides background, play summaries, critical analysis, and bibliography, but also surveys modern approaches to Greek drama. Comprehensive, reliable, and enlightening, it will be a boon to students and their teachers.” Justina Gregory, Smith College"An excellent companion for students new to ancient Greek drama. Its comprehensive scope and inclusion of minor figures makes it especially useful for teachers wanting to give students a more complete picture of the subject...clearly and engagingly written." Bryn Mawr Classical Review"The book will be of enormous value for students and extremely useful as a teaching aid, and it will surely be a rare scholar who does not learn anything new from its wealth of detail." The Classical Review

Product Description

This Blackwell Guide introduces ancient Greek drama, which flourished principally in Athens from the sixth century BC to the third century BC.A broad-ranging and systematically organised introduction to ancient Greek drama. Discusses all three genres of Greek drama – tragedy, comedy, and satyr play. Provides overviews of the five surviving playwrights – Aeschylus, Sophokles, Euripides, Aristophanes, and Menander, and brief entries on lost playwrights. Covers contextual issues such as: the origins of dramatic art forms; the conventions of the festivals and the theatre; the relationship between drama and the worship of Dionysos; the political dimension; and how to read and watch Greek drama. Includes 46 one-page synopses of each of the surviving plays.