The West-Eastern Divan of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The ageing Goethe finds new inspiration and youthfulness through the love of a young woman and the example of the great Persian poet Hafez.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), a towering figure in German culture, was remarkably prolific in many literary genres. But much of his work is scarcely known in the English-speaking world. With this new translation, Robert Martin tries to remedy this situation with regard to one of Goethe's most adventurous volumes of verse, the West–Eastern Divan. Here Goethe playfully pretends to be a Middle-Eastern poet, but draws on themes vital to all of humanity - love, creativity, wisdom, richness of life.