Les Chimeres / the Chimeras of Gerard De Nerval

Open Space, 1965. First Edition. Wraps. Near Fine. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" A great and contrasting pairing (which occasioned some controversy) of two classic 1960's versions of Gerard de Nerval - the published translation by Robin Blaser, and a typescript translation by Robert Duncan. Their differing approaches to Nerval caused considerable controversy at the time, and have remained a topic of the scholarly ever since. From the library of noted American poet Denise Levertov, with her blindstamped library label to cover flap of Blaser's book, which is signed by Blaser. Laid in loose, as Levertov kept it, is a 5-page typescript (a carbon) of Robert Duncan's very different translation of Gerard de Nerval's 'Chimeras', a translation which differs somewhat from that which Duncan ultimately published, which expressed in poetic form his profound disagreement with Blaser. This Duncan translation likely dates from ca. April 22, 1966 or before, as Duncan discusses his translation and differences with Blaser on Nerval at length with Levertov in a letter of that date (see 'The Letters of Robert Duncan and Denise Levertov', pages 525-526, where he mentions just having sent his version off to the journal 'Audit' with an essay attacking Blaser's work, published the prior year.