Technicians of the Sacred: A Range of Poetries from Africa, America, Asia, Europe and Oceania by Jerome Rothenberg

This is an anthology of sacred poetry from around the world; much of it from tribes in Africa, Asia, and the Americas.   The translations are tight and electric, and the variety of material presented is impressive.

I’d try to explain how fascinating the book is, or how moving, or how it makes my dirt-worshiping soul sing.  But I can’t.  It has stoppered my mouth over and over as I’ve been reading it.  So let me just paste in an example . . .

Birth of the Fire God (from Armenia)

heaven and earth labored
the crimson sea labored
and in the sea
from the reed’s tip
smoke rose
from the reed’s tip
flames rode
and in the flame
a youth was running
he had hair of fire
a beard of flame
and his eyes were suns

Get it? Got it? It’s good. Really good.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS