You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
This book was great! I read the Clarence Brown translation. I noticed that people often ask which translation they should read. I have 4 versions for comparison. The Zilboorg, Ginsburg, Randall, and Brown translations. It seems to me that they are all beautifully translated.
This was my favourite passage. All four translations were great. Perhaps you have a preference amongst the four. If so, try reading that translation.
Gregory Zilboorg (1925):
"A branch of the bush touched the old woman, she caressed that branch; upon her knees lay stripes of sunshine. For a second, I, the sun, the old woman, the wormwood, those yellow eyes, all seemed to be one; we were firmly united by common veins, and one common blood - boisterous, magnificent blood - was running through those veins."
Mirra Ginsburg (1972):
"A branch of the wormwood lay along the old woman’s hand and she stroked it; a yellow strip of sunlight fell across her knees. And for an instant, I, the sun, the old woman, the wormwood, and the yellow eyes were one, bound firmly together by some invisible veins, and, pulsing through the veins, the same tumultuous, glorious blood…"
Clarence Brown (1993):
"The wormwood had stuck out a twig to the old woman’s hand and she was caressing the twig, and a yellow stripe of sunlight lay across her knees. And for one second: I, the sun, the old woman, the wormwood, the yellow eyes - we all blended into one, were all bound forever by veins through which flowed one common, stormy, magnificent blood.
Natasha Randall (2006):
"The wormwood had extended a branch toward the hand of the old woman and the old woman was stroking the branch on her lap. There were yellow streaks of sun. And in a blink: I, the sun, the old woman, the wormwood, the yellow eyes - we were all one, we were firmly connected by veins of some sort, and through these veins runs one communal, tempestuous, majestic blood…"
This was my favourite passage. All four translations were great. Perhaps you have a preference amongst the four. If so, try reading that translation.
Gregory Zilboorg (1925):
"A branch of the bush touched the old woman, she caressed that branch; upon her knees lay stripes of sunshine. For a second, I, the sun, the old woman, the wormwood, those yellow eyes, all seemed to be one; we were firmly united by common veins, and one common blood - boisterous, magnificent blood - was running through those veins."
Mirra Ginsburg (1972):
"A branch of the wormwood lay along the old woman’s hand and she stroked it; a yellow strip of sunlight fell across her knees. And for an instant, I, the sun, the old woman, the wormwood, and the yellow eyes were one, bound firmly together by some invisible veins, and, pulsing through the veins, the same tumultuous, glorious blood…"
Clarence Brown (1993):
"The wormwood had stuck out a twig to the old woman’s hand and she was caressing the twig, and a yellow stripe of sunlight lay across her knees. And for one second: I, the sun, the old woman, the wormwood, the yellow eyes - we all blended into one, were all bound forever by veins through which flowed one common, stormy, magnificent blood.
Natasha Randall (2006):
"The wormwood had extended a branch toward the hand of the old woman and the old woman was stroking the branch on her lap. There were yellow streaks of sun. And in a blink: I, the sun, the old woman, the wormwood, the yellow eyes - we were all one, we were firmly connected by veins of some sort, and through these veins runs one communal, tempestuous, majestic blood…"