A Short Survey of Czech Literature/Extracts

EXTRACTS

(In judging the choice of the following illustrative extracts, which are arranged chronologically, the comparatively small number of available translations should be taken into account. This applies particularly to prose, and here again, the selection was further restricted owing to the difficulty of finding short representative prose passages, complete in themselves. As regards the verse, it must be emphasised that there are several Czech poets, such as K. H. Mácha, J. V. Sládek, Jan Neruda, and Svatopluk Čech, who are as writers significant, but whose poems are seldom adapted for effective translation into English.)

PROSE
Jan Hus Letter from Constance
Petr Chelčický Concerning War and Cities
Jan Amos Komenský (Comenius) Bequest of the Dying Mother
VERSE
Jan Kollár The Daughter of Sláva (Prelude)
K. J. Erben The Willow
Jan Neruda To My Mother
Svatopluk Čech Our Native Tongue
Jaroslav Vrchlický Adagio
Jaroslav Vrchlický Eclogue IV
Jaroslav Vrchlický The Graveyard in the Song
Jaroslav Vrchlický Melancholy Serenade XXII
Jaroslav Vrchlický Marco Polo
Antonín Sova On the Hill Side
Antonín Sova To Theodor Mommsen
Antonín Sova Yellow Flowers
Antonín Sova O, that a Joy might come...
Antonín Sova Eternal Unrest
Antonín Sova The Morning Wind
J. S. Machar October Sonnet
J. S. Machar On Golgotha
J. S. Machar Tractate on Patriotism
J. S. Machar Shakespeare
J. S. Machar Galileo with Milton at Torre de Gallo
J. S. Machar Cromwell at the Corpse of Charles I
Petr Bezruč Kyjov
Petr Bezruč Ostrava
Petr Bezruč I am the first of the Těšín people...
Otakar Březina Legend of Secret Guilt
Otakar Březina World of Plantsnot in original ToC
Otakar Březina Pure Morning
Otakar Březina Responses
Karel Toman Old Autumn Allegory
Karel Toman The Sun-Dial
Karel Toman February
Karel Toman April
Otakar Theer Fire
Otakar Theer Spake my Heart ...
Otakar Theer Drifting as in Dream he Dwells ...
Ivan Krasko The Slave
Ivan Krasko Jehovah