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Book Description
This is the first translation into English of the verse drama Germanicus by the Afrikaans poet N.P. Van Wyk Louw. The work was based on the first three chapters of the Annales of the Roman historiographer Tacitus. After the death of Emperor Augustus, his successor Tiberius’ adopted son Germanicus recoils from the cruelty inherent in imperial rule. In the end he helplessly acquiesces, finally welcoming his own death as a means of escape from the burden of empire.
The drama has been considered a highlight in Afrikaans literature since its publication in 1956. Its interest lies in its amazing sweep of words, Louw’s sense of history and his portrayal of the inevitability of the corruption inherent in power. Louw’s great monologues dominate the debates between his main protagonists. His poetic Afrikaans had a grand eloquence that swept his audience along in a torrent of densely-argued meaning. Such conciseness offered severe challenges to the translator. Claassen’s colloquial translation manages to capture both the essence of Louw’s dramatic dialogues and the rhythmic cadences of the original poetry.
The translator provides a lengthy Introduction, aimed at both a classical and a theatre-going readership, explaining the historical background and discussing Louw’s interpretation of Tacitus’ narrative and the constraints under which a translator works. An overview of the contents of the eight scenes of the drama completes the Introduction. A select bibliography is provided at the end of the volume.
Full Recommendations
“Professor Claassen is an internationally acknowledged expert on the relationship between Roman history and culture and the concerns of writers today. Her translation marks an important extension of the availability of Afrikaans texts to anglophone readers. It will enhance appreciation of the role of Afrikaans writers in the theatre and literature that has helped to shape the new South Africa. Professor Claassen’s translation adds a distinctive dimension to awareness of how the portraits of rulers presented in ancient historiography have influenced modern readers’ and audiences’ perceptions of their own societies.”
Professor Lorna Hardwick: Open University, United Kingdom
“This translation is exciting, thorough and very readable. Its language is as gripping as the original. Jo-Marie Claassen’s Introduction has taught me more about Germanicus and about Van Wyk Louw’s classical background than my many years of cursory skimming through the original without the contextualisation that she provides. I had not before realised how thoroughly my grandfather used to incorporate his source material, a matter that I am sure will interest the more knowledgeable of his readers.
“I trust that this publication, which is aimed at an academic readership in the broader anglophone world, will lead to a renewed interest in Louw’s work in the international arena, something that is at present limited to a small number of translations on the internet or in academic journals. This translation should contribute to a renewal in understanding of Louw’s oeuvre, which has of recent been limited by too narrow a focus on the particular, ignoring the wider sweep of his work. This translation has also demonstrated to me the degree to which (apart from his poetic oeuvre) Louw’s Germanicus compares with similar works by other classical scholars.”
Nico (P.N.) Muller (grandson of N.P. Van Wyk Louw): Online Editor Fairfax Sundays, Auckland, New Zealand
“I believe that the publication of this play in English will attract the attention of scholars in the booming field of classical reception. Up until now the Germanicus has not bee accessible to much of the international scholarly community. The publication of this translation will help to draw attention not only to this sorely neglected drama but also other Afrikaans plays based on classical elements that await translation into English.”
William J. Dominik: Professor of Classics, University of Otago, New Zealand
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