Conversations with Rilke

MAURICE BETZ (1898-1946), as well as writing poetry and novels, was a prolific translator of Friedrich Nietzsche, Stefan Zweig and Thomas Mann. He worked closely with Rilke on the French translations of his works while Rilke was alive, and continued translating the poet into French in the decades following his death. He fought in both World Wars and was made a prisoner in the Second. Shortly after the war, he was found dead in a hotel room in Tours, having asked to be called early.WILL STONE is a poet, essayist and literary translator of French, Franco-Belgian and German literature. His previous translations include Rilke in Paris, also by Maurice Betz, several works by Stefan Zweig, and poems by Georg Trakl and Rainer Maria Rilke, all available from Pushkin Press.

Beautifully constructed

• IntroductionTranslator’s NoteOn the Discovery of RilkeChapter I. The Book of Images, Civilisation, 500,000 shellsChapter II. Dada, Malraux, Cocteau, HardenChapter III. First Letters from MuzotChapter IV. Paris, the French language, Berg-sur IrchelChapter V. Émile-Paul, Jaloux, BenvenisteChapter VI. Les Cahiers du mois, Sternheim, ValéryChapter VII. The Luxembourg, the Hôtel Biron, MuzotChapter VIII. Mornings Working on the Notebooks of MalteChapter IX. The Lost Pages of the Notebooks of MalteChapter X. In the Environs of the PrincessChapter XI. Lou Andreas-Salomé, Gorki, TolstoyChapter XII. Rodin, de Max, Isadora DuncanChapter XIII. Roses, Cats and DogsChapter XIV. Bettina von Arnim, Lina Poletti and Eleonora DuseChapter XV. Giraudoux, Gide, Max PicardChapter XVI. Spain, Provence, VeniceChapter XVII. “Fate has these holes where we disappear”Chapter XVIII. Malte, Vergers, Reconnaissance à RilkeChapter XIX. The Last Summer of Rainer Maria RilkeRilke AliveMaurice Betz—A Poet and Literary Translator in ParisTranslator’s AcknowledgmentsNotes on the text