"The Light of Ashes: Selected Poems of Paul Celan" is carefully selected and translated by the famous poet and translator Professor Wang Jiaxin. It is composed of about 360 poems and some of Celan's award-winning speeches, essays and important letters. This book not only fully displays the essence of Celan's creation throughout his life, but also is the fruit of Wang Jiaxin's many years of translation and research on Celan. It is of great significance to Celan's translation and the creation and translation of contemporary Chinese poetry.
About 360 poems in this book are selected and translated from more than ten collections of poems in Celan's life, fully reflecting Celan's creation at different stages in his life. As a survivor of "Auschwitz", an exile and a talented poet, Celan's poems not only deeply witnessed the suffering of the Jewish nation and reflected the "inner colic" of the era, but also pushed the artistic exploration of modern poetry to an astonishing level with his outstanding "late style". The translator's preface to this book comprehensively introduces Celan's life and creation, revealing Celan's spiritual and artistic journey throughout his life and its inspiration to our times; Celan's award-winning speech, essays and letters appended to this book also show us a painful and outstanding poetic soul.
Reader comments
I particularly like the metaphors and symbols in his poetry, and I feel that every word is full of power. Moreover, Professor Wang Jiaxin's translation was also excellent, allowing me to understand Celan's poetry more deeply. However, I didn't particularly like some of the characters in the book, and their experiences weighed heavily on me. But this is also the charm of Celan's poetry. He showed human suffering and hope in a unique way. All in all, this is a good book worth reading again and again!
I particularly like the metaphors and symbols in his poetry, and I feel that every word is full of power. Moreover, Professor Wang Jiaxin's translation was also excellent, allowing me to understand Celan's poetry more deeply. However, I didn't particularly like some of the characters in the book, and their experiences weighed heavily on me. But this is also the charm of Celan's poetry. He showed human suffering and hope in a unique way. All in all, this is a good book worth reading again and again!