If This Be Magic

Why might Hamlet be even longer in Italian? How does the story of Romeo and Juliet begin . . . in Thai? How do you build a joke in German, or recreate a rhyme in Japanese? And why are Lady Macbeth's pronouns such a problem? What does it mean to translate Shakespeare? When we change all the poetry, all the wordplay, all the syntax - all the words! - is it still Shakespeare? And is it still any good? Daniel Hahn, seasoned translator and Shakespeare fanatic, will change the way you think about language itself. Ranging widely across Shakespeare's works, and across the world's languages, this book explores why we choose the words we do and what effect they have. No knowledge of any particular language is required, though a bit of patience for the nerdiest of close reading is desirable. This micro-attention to detail reveals anew the joy of Shakespeare, celebrates creativity and revels in the power of words.

Why might Hamlet be even longer in Italian? How does the story of Romeo and Juliet begin . . . in Thai? How do you build a joke in German, or recreate a rhyme in Japanese? And why are Lady Macbeth's pronouns such a problem? What does it mean to translate Shakespeare? When we change all the poetry, all the wordplay, all the syntax - all the words! - is it still Shakespeare? And is it still any good? Daniel Hahn, seasoned translator and Shakespeare fanatic, will change the way you think about language itself. Ranging widely across Shakespeare's works, and across the world's languages, this book explores why we choose the words we do and what effect they have. No knowledge of any particular language is required, though a bit of patience for the nerdiest of close reading is desirable. This micro-attention to detail reveals anew the joy of Shakespeare, celebrates creativity and revels in the power of words.

How does Shakespeare remain Shakespeare when every word is changed? In this playful, meditative exploration of translating the world's most beloved playwright, Daniel Hahn guides us through the magic of bringing the Bard to a global audience. "For those who care deeply about language, and about Shakespeare. . . this will be a treasured book." --James Shapiro, author of 1599: A Year in the Life of Shakespeare Shakespeare may have breathed the air of sixteenth-century England, but today, all the world is his stage. Every year, millions of people, from Bogot? to Borneo, read Hamlet for the first time, thanks to the tireless work of translators. Drawing on the work of the very best of them, Hahn dives into the infinitesimally complicated ways the great playwright is reinvented and yet sounds, somehow, like himself--in Chinese, Dutch, Turkish, and more than a hundred other languages. From word order, puns, and punctuation to metaphor, accent, and song, Shake­speare's variety of genius presents an endless set of conundrums, among them: How does Romeo and Juliet's love story unfold if their dialogue cannot form a son­net (nor rhyme), as it does in the original? How can you form wordplay around the letter "I" and its sound if its meanings are not shared in other languages? These are just two out of millions of issues facing translators tasked with bringing Shakespeare to non-English languages, non-Shakespearean eras and cultures. To attempt such a feat, they must cut and add beats, maintain rhymes, adapt names and locations, and preserve meaning while not unilaterally prioritizing it, all while knowing that for each word, line, or scene they construct, another option is yet to be discovered. Traveling the world, Hahn speaks to writers and actors engaging with Shake­speare's work, sharing stories of his own. Hahn, whose great-grandfather produced one of Brazil's earliest Shakespeare translations, emerges as a wise and enthusiastic guide, teacher, and sleuth. If This Be Magic does not require knowledge of any other language or more than a passing acquaintance with the Bard's canon, but it draws out fascinating insights on both. As nerdy as they come (there is a chapter on commas), supremely readable, and funny throughout, this is a book for everyone and a fitting tribute to the Globe's Bard.

How does Shakespeare remain Shakespeare when every word is changed? In this playful, meditative exploration of translating the world's most beloved playwright, Daniel Hahn guides us through the magic of bringing the Bard to a global audience. "For those who care deeply about language, and about Shakespeare. . . this will be a treasured book." --James Shapiro, author of 1599: A Year in the Life of Shakespeare Shakespeare may have breathed the air of sixteenth-century England, but today, all the world is his stage. Every year, millions of people, from Bogot? to Borneo, read Hamlet for the first time, thanks to the tireless work of translators. Drawing on the work of the very best of them, Hahn dives into the infinitesimally complicated ways the great playwright is reinvented and yet sounds, somehow, like himself--in Chinese, Dutch, Turkish, and more than a hundred other languages. From word order, puns, and punctuation to metaphor, accent, and song, Shake­speare's variety of genius presents an endless set of conundrums, among them: How does Romeo and Juliet's love story unfold if their dialogue cannot form a son­net (nor rhyme), as it does in the original? How can you form wordplay around the letter "I" and its sound if its meanings are not shared in other languages? These are just two out of millions of issues facing translators tasked with bringing Shakespeare to non-English languages, non-Shakespearean eras and cultures. To attempt such a feat, they must cut and add beats, maintain rhymes, adapt names and locations, and preserve meaning while not unilaterally prioritizing it, all while knowing that for each word, line, or scene they construct, another option is yet to be discovered. Traveling the world, Hahn speaks to writers and actors engaging with Shake­speare's work, sharing stories of his own. Hahn, whose great-grandfather produced one of Brazil's earliest Shakespeare translations, emerges as a wise and enthusiastic guide, teacher, and sleuth. If This Be Magic does not require knowledge of any other language or more than a passing acquaintance with the Bard's canon, but it draws out fascinating insights on both. As nerdy as they come (there is a chapter on commas), supremely readable, and funny throughout, this is a book for everyone and a fitting tribute to the Globe's Bard.