Lyrics of the French Renaissance: Marot, Du Bellay, Ronsard

In this collection of rhymed, metrical translations of selected poems by three of France’s and Western literature’s most gifted and prolific poets, Norman R. Shapiro presents English versions of works by Clément Marot (1496–1544), considered by some to be the last of the medieval poets; Joachim Du Bellay (1525–1560); and Pierre de Ronsard (1524–1585). The original French poems—more than 150 in all—and their new English translations appear on facing pages. Some of the poems are very well known, while others will be a new pleasure for many readers.
In these faithful translations of the poetry of the three most highly acclaimed French Renaissance poets, Shapiro maintains the rhyme and meter of the original works. He adheres to the message of each poem yet avoids a slavishly literal translation to offer creative and spirited equivalents. For students and general readers of this volume, Hope Glidden’s introduction, along with notes she and Shapiro provide on the specific poems, will enhance appreciation and illuminate historical and linguistic issues relating to this wealth of lyric poems.