Edition

The purpose of this project is to explore translations and intertextuality as encapsulated in Victor Hugo’s 1859 poem, “Boaz Asleep”. By examining “Boaz Asleep” in all its forms, this project hopes to show the transformation of texts over time with a specific focus on translations.

As textual variants, translations have the challenge of both staying true to the meaning of the text and making the text relevant to speakers of a different language and culture. Poems present an additional challenge for translators since they have to transfer the rhythm, sound, and syntax of a poem to a different language. This project examines several translations to show how word choice, rhyme scheme, and punctuation alter the meaning of a text. This virtual edition of “Boaz Asleep” aspires to show the mutability of texts and the power of translators in interpreting texts. In doing so, we hope the reader will reflect on what makes a translation good or bad.

Hugo’s “Boaz Asleep” first appeared in his book, La Légende des siècles, in its 1859 edition. The poem is a remediation of Chapter 3 of the Bible’s Book of Ruth, where the young Ruth visits the older Boaz as he sleeps on the threshing floor and lies at his feet. In doing so, she asks him to be her protector as husband which he accepts. This project chose “Boaz Asleep” as the primary text due to its intertextuality and critical acclaim. The poem has been translated numerous times over the centuries since its creation, resulting in a number of textual versions.

This virtual edition is organized into three primary sections:

1. The individual texts organized chronologically, to illustrate the evolution of the texts over time
2. An interlinear comparative analysis of the original text and its translations
3. A quantitative study of the versions of the text

This project was created by Grace Brindle, a student at Carleton College, in 2020 as the capstone of a course, Textual Technologies: From Parchment to Pixel.