Description
Book SynopsisYves Bonnefoy’s book of poems, Beginning and End of the Snow followed by Where the Arrow Falls, combines two meditations in which the poet’s thoughts and a landscape reflect each other. In the first, the wintry New England landscape he encountered while teaching at Williams College evokes the dance of atoms in the philosophical poem of Lucretius as well as the Christian doctrine of death and resurrection. In the second, Bonnefoy uses the luminous woods of Haute Provence as the setting for a parable of losing one’s way.
Trade ReviewThis outwardly slight, paperbound volume opens to reveal an uncommon abundance: a series of exquisite poems by one of the most important poets in France today deftly rendered into English by a poet known for her delicate touch; an eloquent essay by Yves Bonnefoy himself, demonstrating his skill as a literary critic as well as a poet; and a charmingly direct meditation by the translator, Emily Grosholz, about her effort to create English equivalents of two Bonnefoy poems. As if that weren’t enough, there is the further pleasure of beautiful visual art in the evocative drawings of Iranian artist Farhad Ostovani that accompany the text. * World Literature Today *
It's not easy to capture simplicity. It's a matter of meanings, tone, but also of rhythm and sounds, that are necessarily different sounds in the other language. ... This is a superb book; one reads it without the least twinge of regret for what might be lost in translation. With half a dozen watercolour landscapes by the Iranian artist Farhad Ostovani, Snow is also a pleasure to look at. * Criticism & Reference *
Emily Grosholz, both poet and philosopher, has accompanied Début et Fin dela neige with an exquisite English translation, and her great fellow-poet Yves Bonnefoy has prefaced poems and translation with a delectable essay on “Snow" in French and English. -- Richard Wilbur
Yves Bonnefoy is without doubt the most important French poet alive today. This series of poems is extraordinarily beautiful, and the translation by Emily Grosholz is excellent. It captures the delicacy and loveliness of the snowflakes, as well as the directness of the arrow. -- Mary Ann Caws
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Preface “Snow in French and English” Yves Bonnefoy Translated by Emily Grosholz Début et fin de la neige/ Beginning and End of the Snow La grande neige / The Great Snowfall Première neige tôt ce matin / First snowfall, early this morning Le miroir / The Mirror La charrue / The Plough Le peu d’eau / Spot of Water Neige / Snow La Vierge de miséricorde /Our Lady of Mercy Le jardin / The Garden Les pommes / The Apples L’été encore / Still Summer On dirait beaucoup d’e muets /One might say, a flurry of silent e’s Flocons / Snowflakes De natura rerum / De Natura Rerum La parure / The Gown Noli me tangere / Noli Me Tangere Juste avant l’aube / Just Before Dawn Les Flambeaux / The Torches Hopkins Forest / Hopkins Forest Le Tout, Le Rien / Everything, Nothing La Seule Rose / The Only Rose Là où retombe la flèche / Where the Arrow Falls Afterword “Song, Rain, Snow: Translating the Poetry of Yves Bonnefoy,” Emily Grosholz
