Page:Satanella (1932).pdf/23



In presenting this translation of Jaroslav Vrchlicky's Epic Poem, SATANELLA, I am fully aware of the dual danger I am facing. On the side of the Czech literary world I am exposing myself to severe, justifiable censure, for having selected this particular poem from the large, wealthy collections of Vrchlicky's works, many of which are better and more typical of the man than Satanella On the part of the English readers, I am facing the danger of creating a false impression as to the quality and nature of Czech poetry, and the works of Vrchlicky, for the reader may be led to believe that SATANELLA is a typical illustration of the poetic-literature of the Czechs and of their foremost poet

To the English reader I offer no apology for my choice, merely an explanation. The Czech poetry of the 19th Century is a veritable treasure trove of much that is worthy of a place among the world's poetical gems The poetry of this period divides itself on the contents side into two general groups, of which the first contains much of purely local, folk-lorish nature. In this group we find much ill-suppressed patriotism and much longing and bemoaning, of past Czech glory In the other group, of which Vrchlicky may be taken as an outstanding representative we find much of cosmopolitan, world-wide nature, a poet's yearning for truth and beauty, a poet's quest for the Ultimate. It is the latter form of reflective, philosophic poetry that really unites the Czech poetry with that of the other world's poets, and which also shows the immense influence of German, French, Italian and English thought and literature upon that of the Czech thinkers