Mihai Eminescu - The Legend of the Evening Star & Selected Poems: Translations by Adrian G. Sahlean

by Adrian George Sahlean

Poems and prose by Romanian 'national poet' Mihai Eminescu (1850 -1889), considered Europe's last great Romantic poet and celebrated by UNESCO as Year-2000-Poet-of-the-Year. Translator Adrian G. Sahlean is viewed as the poet's premier voice in English, and his rendition of Eminescu's masterpiece "Legenda Luceafarului" (The Legend of the Evening Star) was twice staged off-Broadway in 2005 and 2008. The mirror display of texts in the bilingual volume allows for instant comparison of the original with the English version for those with philological inclination. Revered and celebrated by Romanians the world over, Mihai Eminescu is often described as the essence of the Romanian soul. His work encompassed every genre of poetry as well as prose, fiction and journalism, and helped modernize the literary use of the Romanian language. Eminescu is considered Europe's last great Romantic poet, but his legacy transcends the confines of Romanticism, Western traditions in literature and philosophy, and influences from the Far East; blessed with the touch of genius, his synthesis creates a personal world illuminating the life of man, and the cosmos, in archetypal images of universal appeal.

126 pages, Paperback

Published May 6, 2021

Reviews

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

You’re such a child, a dearest child
Let’s leave the world behind
And lose ourtraces in the wild
No one our name will find


I really enjoyed reading these poems although I feel like the original Romanian version would definitely be a lot better and deeper. Reading this reminds me of the joys of reading foreign poetry despite the translation barrier. Will definitely read more of Mihai’s works