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Poetry French

The Lays of Marie de France

translated by David R. Slavitt

Publisher
Athabasca University Press
Initial publish date
Sep 2013
Category
French, Ancient, Classical & Medieval, General
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781927356371
    Publish Date
    Sep 2013
    List Price
    $16.99

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Description

The twelve “lays” of Marie de France, the earliest known French woman poet, are here presented in sprightly English verse by poet and translator David R. Slavitt. Traditional Breton folktales were the raw material for Marie de France’s series of lively but profound considerations of love, life, death, fidelity and betrayal, and luck and fate. They offer acute observations about the choices that women make, startling in the late twelfth century and challenging even today. Combining a woman’s wisdom with an impressive technical bravura, the lays are a minor treasure of European culture.

About the author

David R. Slavitt is a widely known poet, novelist, critic, and translator. He prepared these English versions of The Lays of Marie de France because he loved them.

David R. Slavitt's profile page

Excerpt: The Lays of Marie de France (translated by David R. Slavitt)

… It was with some shame
that he explained how, in the wood,
he lived on whatever prey he could
capture and kill. She digested this
and then inquired of him what his
costume was in these bizarre
forays. “Lady, werewolves are
completely naked,” was his reply.
She laughed at this (I can’t guess why)
and asked him where he hid his clothes—
to make conversation, I suppose.

 

 

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