Translations of German Poetry in American Magazines 1741-1810 — John Shaqi
Translations of German Poetry in American Magazines 1741-1810Davis, Edward Ziegler
General
Translations of German Poetry in American Magazines 1741-1810
Davis, Edward Ziegler
American periodicals -- Bibliography; German poetry -- Translations into English
Another group of poems calling for some attention includes those
translated from the French. These are of two kinds. In the first place
there are poems written in French by Germans or Swiss, such as the
poems of Frederick the Great, and also the _Ranz des Vaches_. As to
the latter, the French verses are given in two instances together with
the translation,[25] so that it is certain what the original was. In
other instances no mention is made of the source. Since part of the
population of Switzerland has always been German, a German form of the
song very likely existed. It is difficult, therefore, to say whether
this or the French version was used by the translator. The title is
French but this might have been retained for the German stanzas.
[Footnote 25: _Boston Weekly Mag._, III-60, Feb. 2, 1805,
Boston.
_The Visitor_, I-72, June 3, 1809, Richmond. ]
The second class of translations from the French comprehends those
from authors who usually wrote in German; thus, _Navigation_, "From
the French of Gessner" (1803), and _The Usurer_, "From the French of
Gellert" (_Port Folio_, XVI-245, 1823). Either these may have been
taken from French translations of the German,[26] or the word "French"
may be a mistake.[27] This second group has been classed with the
translations of German poetry (Part II); while the first group from
the French belongs to Part III.
[Footnote 26: The British Museum catalogue mentions "_Fables
et Contes_ [trans. principally from the German of C. F.
Gellert, etc.], 1754."]
[Footnote 27: Cf. _The Earth's Division_, "Trans. from Goethe
[sic], by L. E. L." _Waldie's Port Folio_, Part I-123, Apr.
11, 1835, Phila.
Also, _Benevolence_, "A Fable from the German of Galleret"
[sic], 1802.]
No attempt is here made to discuss the critical estimate that the
Americans of this period placed upon German literature. This would
require a consideration of all the prose articles, whereas the present
study has been devoted entirely to the poetry. It is hoped that, from
the list given in Part IV, such information may be obtained. Besides
the several paragraphs on German literati, the individual poems are
often preceded by an introductory note praising the original of the
translation. Even back in the eighteenth century, people were
considering the utility of the modern languages as opposed to the
classics. The _American Museum_, for example, published a _Speech on
the learned languages_, by the Hon. Francis Hopkinson, which concludes
with the remark that the "languages most in use are, in truth, the
most useful to be known."[28]
[Footnote 28: _Amer. Mus._, III, Jan.-June, 1788, p. 539. Cf.
Part IV, p. 194; also the remark of W. E. Channing, Part I,
p. 1.]
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