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John the Valiant
Arguably the greatest and most popular poem in the Hungarian language, this first unabridged translation of Petöfi’s spirited folk epic, which recounts the adventures of a young and valiant shepherd boy, has all the charm and romance of a classic fairy tale. After a reluctant farewell to the beautiful Nelly, Johnny Grain o’ Corn embarks on a series of incredible adventures that take him across land and sea, in the company of bandits, giants, and wicked witches. After he reunites a French princess with her father, the young shepherd must decide whether to accept the king’s gracious offer to ascend to the throne of France or to return to his beloved Nelly. Hungarian poet and patriot Sándor Petöfi extended the range of his nation’s poetry beyond any predecessor, creating an important new synthesis of poetic technique and realistic subject matter.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1844
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246 people want to read
About the author
Sándor Petőfi
165 books52 followersPeople best know Hungarian lyric poet and revolutionary hero Sándor Petöfi, originally Sándor Petrovics, for his patriotic songs and the epic poem
Janos the Hero
(1845).
This key national of Serb and Slovak descent figured in the Hungarian revolution of 1848.
Petőfi started his career as a poet with "popular situation songs," to which his first published poem, A borozó ("The Winery", 1842), belongs. This song of a drinker praises the healing power of wine to drive away all troubles. Despite this not unusual kind of pseudo-folk song in Hungarian poetry of the 1840s, Petőfi quickly developed an original and fresh voice, which made him stand. He wrote many poems like folk song on the subjects of wine, love, romantic robbers et cetera. The love poem A virágnak megtiltani nem lehet ("You Cannot Forbid the Flower", 1843) exemplifies many of these classic early poems, and Befordultam a konyhára ("I Turned into the Kitchen", 1843) uses the ancient metaphor of love and fire in a playful and somewhat provocative way.
Folk poetry and 19th-century populism very significant influenced work of Petőfi' despite other also present influences: familiar with the works of major literary figures of his day, including Percy Bysshe Shelley, Pierre-Jean de Béranger and Heinrich Heine, Petőfi drew on sources, such as topoi of contemporary almanac-poetry, in an inventive way.
This key national of Serb and Slovak descent figured in the Hungarian revolution of 1848.
Petőfi started his career as a poet with "popular situation songs," to which his first published poem, A borozó ("The Winery", 1842), belongs. This song of a drinker praises the healing power of wine to drive away all troubles. Despite this not unusual kind of pseudo-folk song in Hungarian poetry of the 1840s, Petőfi quickly developed an original and fresh voice, which made him stand. He wrote many poems like folk song on the subjects of wine, love, romantic robbers et cetera. The love poem A virágnak megtiltani nem lehet ("You Cannot Forbid the Flower", 1843) exemplifies many of these classic early poems, and Befordultam a konyhára ("I Turned into the Kitchen", 1843) uses the ancient metaphor of love and fire in a playful and somewhat provocative way.
Folk poetry and 19th-century populism very significant influenced work of Petőfi' despite other also present influences: familiar with the works of major literary figures of his day, including Percy Bysshe Shelley, Pierre-Jean de Béranger and Heinrich Heine, Petőfi drew on sources, such as topoi of contemporary almanac-poetry, in an inventive way.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 29, 2019
This has got to be among the most beautiful things I have ever read.
I liked the story, and I liked the poet's great imagination and creativity. He seems to be a bottomless well of ideas; it reminded me a bit of The Neverending Story in that respect. Great sense of humor, too. I liked the part where they are so high up on the mountain that the horses trip over stars. There were many fun parts like that. At other times, it is deeply touching - the despair János feels during his exile, the story of his and Iluska's childhood, and especially the parts that speak about their love for each other. And throughout all of it, the poetry is unspeakably beautiful. I was in awe of the poet's skill from beginning to end.
I don't know if the English translation is any good (couldn't find a copy), I can only comment on the original, which is online here: https://archive.org/stream/jnosvitz00...
Personal notes
I liked the story, and I liked the poet's great imagination and creativity. He seems to be a bottomless well of ideas; it reminded me a bit of The Neverending Story in that respect. Great sense of humor, too. I liked the part where they are so high up on the mountain that the horses trip over stars. There were many fun parts like that. At other times, it is deeply touching - the despair János feels during his exile, the story of his and Iluska's childhood, and especially the parts that speak about their love for each other. And throughout all of it, the poetry is unspeakably beautiful. I was in awe of the poet's skill from beginning to end.
I don't know if the English translation is any good (couldn't find a copy), I can only comment on the original, which is online here: https://archive.org/stream/jnosvitz00...
Personal notes
January 26, 2015
This is a really fantastic, in both senses of the word, piece of narrative poetry, and honestly, maybe the most purely enjoyable poem I've ever read. Petofi's rough and inventive rhymes come across very well in the translation. It has the authentic, earned, elemental blend of humor, adventure, and fantasy that seems to exist only in myth. I especially enjoyed the passage describing the hussars' journey over the mountains, so high that they could wring water from the clouds and the horses tripped over the stars.
December 7, 2023
persze csak az iskolából (nem) emlékeztem rá, leginkább arra, hogy minek kellett megtanulni az első nemtomhány versszakot – de igazából, bármennyire is cukin olvasta fel a Törőcsik Mari, verstanilag azért elég kellemetlen, folyamatosan döcög, néha olyan általános iskolás rímek lepnek meg, amik már valszeg akkor is cikik voltak, és hát népmese ide vagy oda, azért durva, h az ötödikesek olvassák a 16, de inkább 18+-os részleteket.
A kő úgy a király homlokához koppant,
Hogy az agyveleje azonnal kiloccsant.
„Igy híj meg máskor is kőszikla-ebédre,”
Szólt s kacagott János „ráforrt a gégédre!”
A kő úgy a király homlokához koppant,
Hogy az agyveleje azonnal kiloccsant.
„Igy híj meg máskor is kőszikla-ebédre,”
Szólt s kacagott János „ráforrt a gégédre!”
July 30, 2019
Absolutely beautiful ending. It really is a fairy tale and I would like to see a nice, illustrated edition for children.
June 21, 2020
I have to admit that I wouldn't have read this Hungarian epic if I hadn't had John Ridland as my college advisor from 1998-2000. He was the translator of this edition and published it at the time he served as my mentor. It's a glorious book. It's not quite a fairy tale, but has many elements of one. It won't give you the best geography lessons, but I can imagine it being a good bedtime story read one night at a time.
June 25, 2024
Tündérországban csak híre sincs a télnek,
Ott örökös tavasz pompájában élnek;
S nincsen ott nap kelte, nap lenyugovása,
Örökös hajnalnak játszik pirossága.
Benne tündérfiak és tündérleányok
Halált nem ismerve élnek boldogságnak;
Nem szükséges nekik sem étel, sem ital,
Élnek a szerelem édes csókjaival.
Ott örökös tavasz pompájában élnek;
S nincsen ott nap kelte, nap lenyugovása,
Örökös hajnalnak játszik pirossága.
Benne tündérfiak és tündérleányok
Halált nem ismerve élnek boldogságnak;
Nem szükséges nekik sem étel, sem ital,
Élnek a szerelem édes csókjaival.
December 5, 2024
Előszöris földrajz egyes! Azt aztán nem taníthattak abban a korban.
Másszor lehet megkellet volna kisiskolás koromnak hagyni ezt a verset.
Jó volt, szép volt meg aztán fura is volt.
Most is megállja a helyét és teljesen megértem mért volt érte mindenki oda.
Esküszöm el fogok kezdeni rímekben beszélnie emiatt a költemény miatt.
Másszor lehet megkellet volna kisiskolás koromnak hagyni ezt a verset.
Jó volt, szép volt meg aztán fura is volt.
Most is megállja a helyét és teljesen megértem mért volt érte mindenki oda.
Esküszöm el fogok kezdeni rímekben beszélnie emiatt a költemény miatt.
April 6, 2018
Még ma is megvan lemezen. Gyerekkoromban napokig hallgattam újra meg újra. Hihetetlen volt, hogy egy hang hogyan személyesít meg ennyi figurát. Olvasni is hasonló élmény volt – szinte sodortak a rímek.
August 29, 2023
★★★½
"O sol de verão brilha ardentemente
do alto do céu sobre o velo do pastor.
Não adianta assar tanto,
O pastor tem muito calor mesmo"
Embora bem escrito, não é lá uma das melhores histórias, a boa escrita carrega; porém, ainda é um bom poema épico
"O sol de verão brilha ardentemente
do alto do céu sobre o velo do pastor.
Não adianta assar tanto,
O pastor tem muito calor mesmo"
Embora bem escrito, não é lá uma das melhores histórias, a boa escrita carrega; porém, ainda é um bom poema épico
January 2, 2019
შეიძლება ითქვას, რომ პეტეფის სიზმარ-ზღაპარია და უფრო მეტად ავსებს მის პიროვნებაზე ჩემს წარმოდგენას.
November 1, 2022
nekem tetszett már 5.-ben is lol
February 5, 2023
Gyerekkorom kedvence ❤️
December 27, 2015
My take on translating poetry is that of Dr Johnson's on dogs walking on their hind legs: it's not done well, but I'm surprised is it done at all. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this tale in verse. The translator used a rolling metre that was enjoyable to read out loud - until I hit a sight rhyme - and that also helped to convey a tongue-in-cheekedness I hope is in the original. I look forward to reading it.
November 7, 2020
Arra hogy gyerekekkel megkedveltessük a költészetet tökéletes. Én is a János vitéz és a Toldi hatására kezdtem bele anno más verseket is olvasni.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews