Friedrich Martin von Bodenstedt
Encyclopedia
Friedrich Martin von Bodenstedt (April 22, 1819 – April 19, 1892) was a German
author.
Bodenstedt was born at Peine
, in the Kingdom of Hanover
. He studied in Göttingen
, Munich
and Berlin
.
His career was determined by his engagement in 1841 as tutor in the family of Prince Gallitzin
at Moscow
, where he gained a thorough knowledge of Russian
. This led to his appointment in 1844 as the head of a public school at Tiflis, Governorate of Tiflis
(present-day Georgia
).
He took the opportunity of his proximity to Persia to study Persian literature
, and in 1851 published a volume of poetry in oriental guise under the fanciful title, Die Lieder des Mirza Schaffy (English trans. by E. d'Esterre, 1880). The success of this work can only be compared with that of Edward FitzGerald
's Omar Khayyám
, produced in somewhat similar circumstances, but differed from it in being immediate. It has gone through 160 editions in Germany, and has been translated into almost all literary languages. The celebrity is not undeserved, for although Bodenstedt does not attain the poetical elevation of FitzGerald, his view of life is wider, more cheerful and more sane, while the execution is a model of grace.
It has been suggested that Martin von Bodenstedt's work was only a translation of original poetry by an Azeri poet, and a known acquaintance of his, Mirza Shafi Vazeh
- a charge which Bodenstedt denied.
On his return from the East, Bodenstedt engaged for a while in journalism
, married the daughter of a Hessian
officer (Matilde, the Edlitam of his poems), and was in 1854 appointed professor of Slavonic at Munich. The rich stores of knowledge which Bodenstedt brought back from the East were turned to account in two important books, Die Völker des Kaukasus und ihre Freiheits-Kämpfe gegen die Russen (1848), and Tausend und ein Tag im Orient (1850).
For some time Bodenstedt continued to devote himself to Slavonic subjects, producing translations of Pushkin, Lermontov, Turgenev
, and of the poets of Ukraine
, and writing a tragedy
on the false Demetrius
, and an epic, Ada die Lesghierin, on a Circassia
n theme. Likely finding this vein exhausted, he exchanged his professorship in 1858 for one of Early English literature
, and published (1858–1860) a valuable work on the English dramatists contemporary with Shakespeare, with copious translations. In 1862 he produced a standard translation of Shakespeare's sonnets
, and between 1866 and 1872 published a complete version of the plays, with the help of many coadjutors.
In 1867 he undertook the direction of the court theatre at Meiningen
, and was ennobled by the duke. After 1873 he lived successively at Altona
, Berlin and Wiesbaden
, where he died on April 19, 1892. His later works consist of an autobiography (1888), successful translations from Hafiz and Omar Khayyam
, and lyrics and dramas which added little to his reputation.
An edition of his collected works in 12 vols. was published at Berlin (1866–1869), and his Erzählungen und Romane at Jena
(1871–1872).
From 1879 to 1880 Bodenstedt traveled through the United States. He published his travel account in 1882 in Leipzig, entitled Vom Atlantischen zum Stillen Ozean, that is From the Atlantic to the Pacific. Among others, he met Judge Stallo of Cincinnati, Ohio, and his family during his trip.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
author.
Bodenstedt was born at Peine
Peine
Peine is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, capital of the district Peine. It is situated on the river Fuhse and the Mittellandkanal, approx. 25 km west of Braunschweig, and 40 km east of Hanover.- History :...
, in the Kingdom of Hanover
Kingdom of Hanover
The Kingdom of Hanover was established in October 1814 by the Congress of Vienna, with the restoration of George III to his Hanoverian territories after the Napoleonic era. It succeeded the former Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg , and joined with 38 other sovereign states in the German...
. He studied in Göttingen
Göttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
, Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
and Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
His career was determined by his engagement in 1841 as tutor in the family of Prince Gallitzin
Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin
Prince Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin was an emigre Russian aristocrat and Catholic priest known as The Apostle of the Alleghenies. Since 2005, he has been under investigation for possible canonization by the Catholic Church...
at Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, where he gained a thorough knowledge of Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
. This led to his appointment in 1844 as the head of a public school at Tiflis, Governorate of Tiflis
Tiflis Governorate
Tiflis Governorate was one of the guberniyas of the Russian Empire with its centre in Tiflis . In 1897 it constituted 44,607 sq. kilometres in area and had a population of 1,051,032 inhabitants...
(present-day Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
).
He took the opportunity of his proximity to Persia to study Persian literature
Persian literature
Persian literature spans two-and-a-half millennia, though much of the pre-Islamic material has been lost. Its sources have been within historical Persia including present-day Iran as well as regions of Central Asia where the Persian language has historically been the national language...
, and in 1851 published a volume of poetry in oriental guise under the fanciful title, Die Lieder des Mirza Schaffy (English trans. by E. d'Esterre, 1880). The success of this work can only be compared with that of Edward FitzGerald
Edward FitzGerald (poet)
Edward FitzGerald was an English writer, best known as the poet of the first and most famous English translation of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. The spelling of his name as both FitzGerald and Fitzgerald is seen...
's Omar Khayyám
Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám is the title that Edward FitzGerald gave to his translation of a selection of poems, originally written in Persian and of which there are about a thousand, attributed to Omar Khayyám , a Persian poet, mathematician and astronomer...
, produced in somewhat similar circumstances, but differed from it in being immediate. It has gone through 160 editions in Germany, and has been translated into almost all literary languages. The celebrity is not undeserved, for although Bodenstedt does not attain the poetical elevation of FitzGerald, his view of life is wider, more cheerful and more sane, while the execution is a model of grace.
It has been suggested that Martin von Bodenstedt's work was only a translation of original poetry by an Azeri poet, and a known acquaintance of his, Mirza Shafi Vazeh
Mirza Shafi Vazeh
Mirza-Shafi Vazeh , also known as the "sage from Ganja", was a classical bilingual poet of Azerbaijani poet and Persian language who continued the classical traditions of Azerbaijani poetry from the 14th century. His verses were translated into nearly all European languages.-Early life:Mirza Shafi...
- a charge which Bodenstedt denied.
On his return from the East, Bodenstedt engaged for a while in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
, married the daughter of a Hessian
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
officer (Matilde, the Edlitam of his poems), and was in 1854 appointed professor of Slavonic at Munich. The rich stores of knowledge which Bodenstedt brought back from the East were turned to account in two important books, Die Völker des Kaukasus und ihre Freiheits-Kämpfe gegen die Russen (1848), and Tausend und ein Tag im Orient (1850).
For some time Bodenstedt continued to devote himself to Slavonic subjects, producing translations of Pushkin, Lermontov, Turgenev
Ivan Turgenev
Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev was a Russian novelist, short story writer, and playwright. His first major publication, a short story collection entitled A Sportsman's Sketches, is a milestone of Russian Realism, and his novel Fathers and Sons is regarded as one of the major works of 19th-century...
, and of the poets of Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, and writing a tragedy
Tragedy
Tragedy is a form of art based on human suffering that offers its audience pleasure. While most cultures have developed forms that provoke this paradoxical response, tragedy refers to a specific tradition of drama that has played a unique and important role historically in the self-definition of...
on the false Demetrius
False Dmitriy I
False Dmitriy I was the Tsar of Russia from 21 July 1605 until his death on 17 May 1606 under the name of Dimitriy Ioannovich . He is sometimes referred to under the usurped title of Dmitriy II...
, and an epic, Ada die Lesghierin, on a Circassia
Circassia
Circassia was an independent mountainous country located in the Caucasus region of Eurasia and was the largest and most important country in the Caucasus. Circassia was located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea...
n theme. Likely finding this vein exhausted, he exchanged his professorship in 1858 for one of Early English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
, and published (1858–1860) a valuable work on the English dramatists contemporary with Shakespeare, with copious translations. In 1862 he produced a standard translation of Shakespeare's sonnets
Shakespeare's sonnets
Shakespeare's sonnets are 154 poems in sonnet form written by William Shakespeare, dealing with themes such as the passage of time, love, beauty and mortality. All but two of the poems were first published in a 1609 quarto entitled SHAKE-SPEARES SONNETS.: Never before imprinted. Sonnets 138 and 144...
, and between 1866 and 1872 published a complete version of the plays, with the help of many coadjutors.
In 1867 he undertook the direction of the court theatre at Meiningen
Meiningen
Meiningen is a town in Germany - located in the southern part of the state of Thuringia and is the district seat of Schmalkalden-Meiningen. It is situated on the river Werra....
, and was ennobled by the duke. After 1873 he lived successively at Altona
Altona, Hamburg
Altona is the westernmost urban borough of the German city state of Hamburg, on the right bank of the Elbe river. From 1640 to 1864 Altona was under the administration of the Danish monarchy. Altona was an independent city until 1937...
, Berlin and Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
, where he died on April 19, 1892. His later works consist of an autobiography (1888), successful translations from Hafiz and Omar Khayyam
Omar Khayyám
Omar Khayyám was aPersian polymath: philosopher, mathematician, astronomer and poet. He also wrote treatises on mechanics, geography, mineralogy, music, climatology and theology....
, and lyrics and dramas which added little to his reputation.
An edition of his collected works in 12 vols. was published at Berlin (1866–1869), and his Erzählungen und Romane at Jena
Jena
Jena is a university city in central Germany on the river Saale. It has a population of approx. 103,000 and is the second largest city in the federal state of Thuringia, after Erfurt.-History:Jena was first mentioned in an 1182 document...
(1871–1872).
From 1879 to 1880 Bodenstedt traveled through the United States. He published his travel account in 1882 in Leipzig, entitled Vom Atlantischen zum Stillen Ozean, that is From the Atlantic to the Pacific. Among others, he met Judge Stallo of Cincinnati, Ohio, and his family during his trip.