Songbook

A beautifully translated selection of poems by one of the greatest Italian poets of the twentieth century

Umberto Saba's reputation in Italy and Europe has steadily grown since his death in 1957, and today he is positioned alongside Eugenio Montale and Giuseppe Ungaretti as one of the three most important Italian poets of the first half of the twentieth century. Until now, however, English-language readers have had access to only a few examples of this poet's work. This bilingual volume at last brings an extensive and exquisitely translated collection of Saba's poems to English-speaking readers.

Both faithful and lyrical, George Hochfield's and Leonard Nathan's translations do justice to Saba's rigorous personal honesty and his profound awareness of the suffering that was for him coincident with life. An introductory essay, a translation of Saba's early manifesto, "What Remains for Poets to Do," and a chronology of his life situate his poetics within the larger context of twentieth-century letters. With its publication, this volume provides the English-speaking world with a momentous occasion to rethink not just Italian poetry but also the larger European modernist project.

An invaluable resource for English-speaking scholars and lovers of modern Italian poetry, one that will certainly make its way into hundreds of libraries, and become a main point of reference for professors and students who will address the fundamental importance of Saba's poetry for many years to come.--Philip Balma, Translation Review--Philip Balma "Translation Review"
Finalist for the 2010 Lewis Galantière Award sponsored by the American Translators Association.--Lewis Galantiere Award "American Translators Association" (11/1/2010 12:00:00 AM)
Handsomely produced. . . . Clearly a labor of love.--Susan Stewart, The Nation--Susan Stewart "The Nation" (4/6/2009 12:00:00 AM)
Saba's achievement overflows the boundaries of any single poem, and now with this new translation . . . English-speaking readers can at last begin to take the measure of, and perhaps to learn from, this deeply haunting poet.--Rosanna Warren, The New Republic--Rosanna Warren "The New Republic" (7/1/2009 12:00:00 AM)