Pound on Provence
From 'The Selected Letters of Ezra Pound: 1907-1941', ed D.D. Page:
9 July 1922 (To Felix E. Schelling)
"My assault on Provence: 1st: using it as subject matter, trying to do as R.B. [presumably Robert Bridges] had with Renaissance Italy. 2, Diagrammatic translations (those of Arnaut, now printed in 'Instigations'); all part of study of cerse-form (as trans. of Cavalcanti). Note that the English "poet" en masse had simply said: "these forms are impossible in English, they are too complicated, we haven't the rhymes." That was bunkum, usual laziness of English, and hatred of craft.... I have proved that the Porvencal rhyme schemes are not impossible in English. They are probably inadvisiable. The troubadour was not worried by our sense of style, our "literary values," he could shovel words ini any order he liked.... The troubadour, fortunately perhaps, was not worried about English order; he got certain musical effects because he cd. concentrate on music without bothering about literary values. He had a kind of freedom which we no longer have."
What's interesting to me about all this is that Pound seems rather convinced that he had failed at what he set out to do: "I have failed almost without exception; I can't count six people whom I have succeeded in interesting in XIIth Century Provence. Perhaps the best thing I have done is with the music."
The music? What did he do? Certainly it makes sense for the lyrical verse to be appreciated with music, but I didn't realise that Pound had gone so far, having held a picture of him in my mind as a man of letters only.
1920 saw the publication in London of 'Five Troubadour Songs: With the Original Provençal Words and English Words Adapted from Chaucer, Arranged by Agnes Bedford' (London, Boosey & Co., 1920), with Chaucer's words (translated by Pound) set to music. It would be worth trying to track down a copy, if it's at all possible.
Update, a few hours later: haven't managed to find a copy, unfortunately. It's the sort of thing that would no doubt make the basis of a wonderful poetry/ middle english/ music combined project, looking at word choice in translation and choice of music...
9 July 1922 (To Felix E. Schelling)
"My assault on Provence: 1st: using it as subject matter, trying to do as R.B. [presumably Robert Bridges] had with Renaissance Italy. 2, Diagrammatic translations (those of Arnaut, now printed in 'Instigations'); all part of study of cerse-form (as trans. of Cavalcanti). Note that the English "poet" en masse had simply said: "these forms are impossible in English, they are too complicated, we haven't the rhymes." That was bunkum, usual laziness of English, and hatred of craft.... I have proved that the Porvencal rhyme schemes are not impossible in English. They are probably inadvisiable. The troubadour was not worried by our sense of style, our "literary values," he could shovel words ini any order he liked.... The troubadour, fortunately perhaps, was not worried about English order; he got certain musical effects because he cd. concentrate on music without bothering about literary values. He had a kind of freedom which we no longer have."
What's interesting to me about all this is that Pound seems rather convinced that he had failed at what he set out to do: "I have failed almost without exception; I can't count six people whom I have succeeded in interesting in XIIth Century Provence. Perhaps the best thing I have done is with the music."
The music? What did he do? Certainly it makes sense for the lyrical verse to be appreciated with music, but I didn't realise that Pound had gone so far, having held a picture of him in my mind as a man of letters only.
1920 saw the publication in London of 'Five Troubadour Songs: With the Original Provençal Words and English Words Adapted from Chaucer, Arranged by Agnes Bedford' (London, Boosey & Co., 1920), with Chaucer's words (translated by Pound) set to music. It would be worth trying to track down a copy, if it's at all possible.
Update, a few hours later: haven't managed to find a copy, unfortunately. It's the sort of thing that would no doubt make the basis of a wonderful poetry/ middle english/ music combined project, looking at word choice in translation and choice of music...
posted by David | 11:54 PM
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