Dánnerstag 2021

Jan Wagner, a German poet and essayist, has received numerous awards for his poetry, including the Wilhelm Lehmann Prize (2009), Leipzig Book Fair Prize (2015), and Georg Büchner Prize (2017). The poem is dedicated to Matthew Sweeney (1952-2018). Translated into English by UL students Daniel Kilbridge, Caoimhe Moriarty and Deirbhile Mellotte. Translated into Irish by Caoimhe Moriarty and Deirbhile Mellotte

Gabriel Rosenstock is one of the best-known Irish poets and translators working in the Irish language. He is a member of Aosdána, the Irish Academy of Arts and Letters and has translated a multitude of German works into Irish. Translated into Irish by Gabriel Rosenstock; into English by Pierre Joris.

Ilma Rakusa is a Swiss literary, novelist and poet and has won numerous awards for her work, such as the Adelbert von Chamisso Prize (2003), the Swiss Book Prize (2009), and the Kleist Prize (2019). Translated into English by Sue Vickerman and Gisela Holfter; into Irish by Sorcha de Brún.

Written by 1782, the ballad tells the story of the death of a child, who is assailed by the Erlking, the king of fairies. The Erlkönigis regarded as one of Goethe’s (1749-1832) most famous ballads. Translated into Irish by Eoin McEvoy.

Robert Schindel is a prominent Austrian poet and has received several prizes including the Erich Fried Prize (1993) and the Heinrich Mann Prize (2014). “In den Zügen sitzen” was translated into English by Gisela Holfter and Sorcha de Brún; into Irish by Sorcha de Brún.

Theodor Storm (1817-1888) was one of the best known German writers in the 19th century and is seen as a representative of German literary realism. Born and brought up in the small seaside town of Husum at the North Sea, the coastal landscape played an important role in his novels and poetry. His poem “Die Stadt” which we introduce here is dedicated to his hometown. The poem is read by Gisela Holfter and Sorcha de Brún. Translated into English by Ally Forumgamer. Translated into Irish by Nora Murphy and Sorcha de Brún.

Kathrin Schmidt has worked as a psychologist, editor, and social scientist. She has been awarded numerous prizes for her literary work such as the Leonce and Lena Prize (1993), the Christine Lavant Prize, and the German Book Prize. The poem was translated into English by UL students Gráinne McNicholas, Daire Kennedy,Martyna Klawitter, Jane Kenny. Translated into Irish by UL student Emer Kavanagh.

Heinrich Heine (1797 – 1856), author, journalist and poet, is regarded as one of the most in-fluential German writers of the 19th century. He is often viewed as the last representative of the Romantic movement. Translated into English by Louis Untermeyer. “Ein Jüngling liebt ein Mädchen” (1822) was translated into Irish by Eibhlín Nic Niocaill in 1909 as “Thug buachaill óg grádh do chailín”, one of the first translations of a German poem into Irish. It is read by Joachim Fischer and Máire Ní Ghráda.