Poetry
Tijdkrans
Not translated into English
Guido Gezelle · 1893
Opening lines
In den naam des Vaders, zegen
mij, o God; en in den naam
's Zoons en 's Heiligen Geests, te zaam:
op, en hand aan 't werk geslegen!
In the name of the Father, bless
me, O God; and in the name
Of the Son and the Holy Ghost together:
up, and set hand to the work!
Translation by Erostrate
Text quoted from dbnl.org
Synopsis
A book of hours in verse, in three crowns of unequal length. The crown of the day follows the light from morning to evening and to night; that of the year, by far the fullest, passes through the twelve months, which the poet designates by their old popular names, mad month for February, holy month for December; that of eternity leaves time behind. The poems, untitled, combine nature observed at close range, trees, flowers, seasons and the Lys, with occasional pieces written for communions, ordinations, weddings or the new year.
Context
The collection appeared in Roulers with Jules De Meester to complete the edition of the poetical works begun the year before, and was sold only with it. Vermeylen, in 1938, saw in it the proof that the poet, almost forgotten, was being reborn: 1893 is also the year of the review Van Nu en Straks. The five-yearly State prize nevertheless went to a novel by Virginie Loveling: according to the jury, prose had to be crowned, the language was too regional and the occasional verses too numerous. The next collection, without occasional poems, received a State prize after the author's death.
Who it is for
The author's largest collection, in Dutch tinged with West Flemish; no French or English translation of the whole collection has been found.
Prizes and reception
Vermeylen regarded it as the book that made its author recognised as the great master of Flemish poetry; the state jury preferred a novel to it.
Sources for this page 5
The pages consulted to check this page.