Forefathers' Eve

Adam Mickiewicz

Summary

Forefathers’ Eve [Dziady] is a four-part dramatic work begun circa 1820 and completed in 1832 – with Part I published only after the poet’s death, in 1860. The drama's title refers to Dziady, an ancient Slavic and Lithuanian feast commemorating the dead. This is the grand work of Polish literature, and it is one that elevates Mickiewicz to a position among the “great Europeans” such as Dante and Goethe.

With its Christian background of the Communion of the Saints, revenant spirits, and the interpenetration of the worlds of time and eternity, Forefathers’ Eve speaks to men and women of all times and places. While it is a truly Polish work – Polish actors covet the role of Gustaw/Konrad in the same way that Anglophone actors covet that of Hamlet – it is one of the most universal works of literature written during the nineteenth century. It has been compared to Goethe’s Faust – and rightfully so. Forefathers’ Eve initiated the great contribution of Poland to world theatre: Monumental Drama, which stretches from him through Stanisław Wyspiański to Tadeusz Kantor in our own day and age.

The present translation of Adam Mickiewicz’s Forefathers’ Eve is the first complete verse translation of the cycle published in English. It has been put to use in its entirety by the Teatr Polski in Wrocław, and partially set to music by Arturas Bumšteinas in his contemporary orchestral work Different Trains (2014).

Translated by Charles S. Kraszewski.

Charles S. Kraszewski (b. 1962) is a poet, translator and literary critic. He has published three volumes of original verse: Beast (Alexandria, 2013), Diet of Nails (Boston, 2013) and Chanameed (Atlanta, 2015). Among his critical works is Irresolute Heresiarch: Catholicism, Gnosticism and Paganism in the Poetry of Czesław Miłosz (Newcastle-on-Tyne, 2012); many of his verse translations are collected in the volume Rossetti’s Armadillo (Newcastle-on-Tyne, 2014).

This book was published with the support of the Hanna and Zdzislaw Broncel Charitable Trust.

This book has been published with the support of the ©POLAND Translation Program.

Maxim Hodak - Максим Ходак (Publisher),

Max Mendor - Макс Мендор.

Available since: 11/02/2016.

Other books that might interest you

Sir John Gielgud's Favourite...

William Shakespeare

Sir John Gielgud performs his favourite scenes from A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, Cymbeline, The Taming of the Shrew, Julius Caesar, The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet and many more.

Show book

God Luv Us - An Achim Jeffers Novel

Josiah Starr

Achim Jeffers faces his most challenging mission yet. He’s a black man caught in a deadly vice. One misstep, and hard prison time will be in his future. 
His sworn adversaries in the FBI are in utter panic. They are begging Achim, a Counter-Racist hitman, to provide them with his expert assistance. The FBI has good reason to be so frightful. A twisted European assassin has been hired to take out a high value target in the United States. Infamous for his brutality and White Supremacist fervor, this faceless assassin is simply known as “The Tarpon”. Everything about the man and his deadly methods, are clouded in mystery. “The Tarpon” is intent on spilling blood in New Orleans. His goal is to serve the black citizens of the city, death on a cold plate. Aware of “The Tarpon’s” cruelty, yet weary of the FBI’s true intentions, Achim is forced to take a big risk in order to protect the Black Community he loves so much. He begrudgingly joins forces with the FBI and enters a global race to stop the crazed racist before he completes his grisly task. 
Join the manhunt and experience the intense combat as Achim Jeffers and The Tarpon trade blows, in this sequel to Josiah Starr's underground hit novel “War of The Heart”.

Show book

As You Like It (Argo Classics)

William Shakespeare

William Collins Books and Decca Records are proud to present ARGO Classics, a historic catalogue of classic prose and verse read by some of the world’s most renowned voices. Originally released as vinyl records, these expertly remastered stories are now available to download for the first time.
‘The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.’
Forced into exile in the Forest of Arden, lovers Rosalind and Orlando become entangled in a beguiling game of love, lust and mistaken identity.
Rosalind and her cousin escape into the forest and find Orlando, Rosalind's love. Disguised as a boy shepherd, Rosalind has Orlando woo her under the guise of "curing" him of his love for Rosalind. Rosalind reveals she is a girl and marries Orlando during a group wedding at the end of the play.
All of the Shakespeare plays within the ARGO Classics catalogue are performed by the Marlowe Dramatic Society and Professional Players. The Marlowe was founded in 1907 with a mission to focus on effective delivery of verse, respect the integrity of texts, and rescue neglected plays by Shakespeare’s contemporaries and the less performed plays of Shakespeare himself. The Marlowe has performed annually at Cambridge Arts Theatre since its opening in 1936 and continues to produce some of the finest actors of their generations.
Thurston Dart, Professor of Music at London University and a Fellow of Jesus College Cambridge, directed the music for this production.
The full cast includes: John Barton; Tony Church; Peter Bingham; Anthony Jacobs; John Arnott; David Buck; Tony White; David Gibson; Denys Robertson; John Wilders; Gary Watson; Julian Pettifer; John Bird; George Rylands; Christine Baker; Wendy Gifford; Irene Worth; Mary Fenton.
This top performing rendition of As You Like It by William Shakespeare, is a testament to the enduring power of European theatre. The short, yet impactful scenes are brought to life by the best actors of their generation.
For fans of Richard Parsons (GCSE English Shakespeare Text Guide), Arthur Miller (Incident at Vichy), and Mark Haddon (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time).

Show book

River House - Poems

Sally Keith

“This heartbreaking and robust poetry collection . . . explores the complexity of the mind in the midst of grief” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). 
 
These are poems of absence. Written in the wake of the loss of her mother, River House follows Sally Keith as she makes her way through the depths of grief, navigating a world newly transfigured. 
 
Incorporating her travels abroad, her experience studying the neutral mask technique developed by Jacques Lecoq, and her return to the river house she and her mother often visited, the poet assembles a guide to survival in the face of seemingly insurmountable pain. Even in the dark, Keith finds the ways we can be “filled with this unexpected feeling of living.”

Show book

Once on a Time (Dramatic Reading)

A.A. Milne

This version of the book is done as a Dramatic Reading with various people speaking each characters part. 
 
When the King of Barodia receives a pair of seven-league boots as a birthday present, his habit of flying over the King of Euralia's castle during breakfast provokes a series of incidents which escalate into war. While the King of Euralia is away, his daughter Hyacinth tries to rule in his stead and counter the machiavellian ambitions of the king's favourite, the Countess Belvane. Ostensibly a typical fairytale, it tells the story of the war between the kingdoms of Euralia and Barodia and the political shenanigans which take place in Euralia in the king's absence. The book introduces us to a princess who is far from helpless; a prince who, whilst handsome, is also pompous and vain; an enchantment which is almost entirely humorous; a villain who is not entirely villainous and receives no real comeuppance; a good king who isn't always good; an evil king who isn't always evil, and so on. The result is a book which children may not enjoy as much as adults. The book was written by Milne partly for his wife, upon whom the character of the Countess Belvane was partially based. (Summary from Wikipedia)Cast: 
Narration: Bob NeufeldKing Merriwig: Mark F. SmithPrincess Hyacinth: Karen SavageCountess Belvane: Catharine EastmanPrince Udo: Peter EastmanDuke Coronel: Glenn SimonsenWiggs: Arielle LipshawWoggs: Karen SavageKing of Barodia: Roger MelinChancellor of Barodia: Robert KeiperChancellor of Euralia: Denny SayersFairy: Neeru IyerOld Woman: Catharine EastmanAttendant: Arielle LipshawCarlo, Men of Euralia, Captain of Archers, Flunkey: David LawrenceLookout, Cautious voice, Messenger, Wizard, Sentry: Barry EadsAudio edited by: Barry Eads 
Proof Listening by: Joy Easton and Arielle Lipshaw

Show book

Travel Poems Volume 2

Robert Louis Stevenson, Walt...

Amidst all our dreams and ambitions from cradle to grave is the wanderlust of travel. To see the world, to experience different cultures and new lands.  In the modern day a few hours on a plane will take us to an entirely different environment whereas a hundred years ago or more any form of transport would have been far slower paced but getting there was also part of the adventure, the gradual transition from what is known to what is about to be known.  This collection of poems takes us across a wide variety of travels and environments both real and in the mind. They summon up descriptions and feelings that are sometimes totally unexpected. Of course when the authors include Wordsworth, Stevenson, Keats and others perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised but allow ourselves to be indulged by their ability. These poems are read for you by Gideon Wagner and Ghizela Rowe

Show book