The Drunken Boat & Other Poems from the French of Arthur Rimbaud (French and English Edition)

Known only to literati since its original small press publication in 1975 and two subsequent small press editions, widely published poet Eric Greinke's innovative American versions of Rimbaud's best poems have received critical acclaim as the best translations of Rimbaud to date. Available for the first time as a full-length book, these translations have received high praise from fellow poets-translators such as Robert Bly and Leslie H Whitten. These versions restore the music and imagery of the originals for English-language readers. Greinke was among the first American poets to prioritise poetic elements in translation, breaking tradition with the more literal but less literate 'old school' approach. Contains 35 of Rimbaud's works accompanied by the original French, including Greinke's hauntingly evocative version of The Drunken Boat, a poem considered by many to be the single best poem ever written in any language. This book includes a twelve page introduction by the poet-translator and an index of first lines. This is a 'must have' for all students and readers of classic poetry.