List of Holberg's plays in English translation
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ludvig Holberg, the "Molière of the North",[1][2] wrote 33 Danish comedies between 1722 and 1753 — 15 of them ("the foundation for the entire Danish theatre"[3]) in a span of less than 18 months in 1722 and early 1723.[3]
In his long career, nominally in education, Holberg produced works in philosophy, law, finance, and history; essays, satirical verse, biographies, memoirs, and an early science fiction utopia.[4] However, his comedies have brought him the widest and most lasting acclaim.[5][1][6] Despite this, no English translations of Holberg's comedies were made during his lifetime, and only 4 in the 19th century. In the 20th century many translations appeared (including 14 published by The American-Scandinavian Foundation). Now at least 39 English translations are available representing 20 of Holberg's 33 comedies. Jeppe on the Hill — his "most popular and most discussed play"[7] — is also the most frequently translated, followed by Erasmus Montanus.
Translations
Key
- Danish Title — The original play that serves as the basis of the English text.
- English Title — The title of the English text, as it appears in the given translation. Because one Danish title may be published under various English titles, sorting by this column is not a reliable way to group all translations of a particular original together; to do so, sort on Danish Title.
- Year — The year of the translation's first publication. Some translations may have been written or produced earlier than this date, and some have been republished subsequently, but this is not noted here.
- Publication — The publication in which the translation first appeared. These short titles are linked to their full bibliographic entries.
Table
| Danish Title | English Title | Year | Translator | Publication | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mester Gert Westphaler | The Babbling Barber | 1827 | M. Corbett | The Odd Volume | 1 act; reduced by Holberg himself from its original 5 acts. |
| Erasmus Montanus eller Rasmus Berg | Erasmus Montanus | 1871 | Peter Toft | Fraser's Magazine | 5 acts. |
| Erasmus Montanus eller Rasmus Berg | Erasmus Montanus, or Rasmus Berg | 1885 | T. Weber | Erasmus Montanus, or Rasmus Berg | 5 acts. |
| Den Politiske Kandestøber | The Blue-apron Statesman | 1885 | T. Weber | The Blue-apron Statesman | 5 acts. |
| Jeppe på bjerget eller den forvandlede Bonde | Jeppe on the Hill, or The Transformed Peasant | 1906 | Waldemar Westergaard & Martin B. Ruud | Jeppe of the Hill | 5 acts. |
| Den Stundesløse | Scatterbrains | 1912 | H. W. L. Hime | Three Comedies | 3 acts. |
| Diderich Menschenskraek | Captain Bombastes Thunderton | 1912 | H. W. L. Hime | Three Comedies | 1 act. Translated as 3 acts. |
| Henrich og Pernille | Henry and Pernilla | 1912 | H. W. L. Hime | Three Comedies | 3 acts. |
| Den Politiske Kandestøber | The Political Tinker | 1914 | Oscar James Campbell & Frederick Schenck | Comedies | 5 acts. |
| Jeppe på bjerget eller den forvandlede Bonde | Jeppe of the Hill | 1914 | Oscar James Campbell & Frederick Schenck | Comedies | 5 acts. |
| Erasmus Montanus eller Rasmus Berg | Erasmus Montanus | 1914 | Oscar James Campbell & Frederick Schenck | Comedies | 5 acts. |
| Jeppe på bjerget eller den forvandlede Bonde | Jeppe of the Hill | 1933 | M. Jagendorf | World Drama | 5 acts. |
| Den vægelsindede | The Weathercock | 1946 | Henry Alexander | Four Plays | 3 acts. |
| Den Stundesløse | The Fussy Man | 1946 | Henry Alexander | Four Plays | 3 acts. |
| Mascarade | Masquerades | 1946 | Henry Alexander | Four Plays | 3 acts. |
| De Usynlige | The Masked Ladies | 1946 | Henry Alexander | Four Plays | 3 acts. |
| Mester Gert Westphaler | The Talkative Barber | 1950 | Henry Alexander | Seven One-act Plays | 1 act; reduced by Holberg himself from its original 5 acts. |
| Det Arabiske Pulver | The Arabian Powder | 1950 | Henry Alexander | Seven One-act Plays | 1 act. |
| Julestuen | The Christmas Party | 1950 | Henry Alexander | Seven One-act Plays | 1 act. |
| Diderich Menschenskraek | Diderich the Terrible | 1950 | Henry Alexander | Seven One-act Plays | 1 act. |
| Den pantsatte Bondedreng | The Peasant in Pawn | 1950 | Henry Alexander | Seven One-act Plays | 3 acts. Translated as 1 act. |
| Den Forvandlede Brudgom | The Changed Bridegroom | 1950 | Henry Alexander | Seven One-act Plays | 1 act. |
| Sganarels Rejse til det philosophiske Land | Sganarel's Journey to the Land of the Philosophers | 1950 | Henry Alexander | Seven One-act Plays | 1 act. |
| Jeppe på bjerget eller den forvandlede Bonde | The Transformed Peasant | 1957 | Reginald Spink | Three Comedies | 5 acts. Translated as 3 acts. |
| Det Arabiske Pulver | The Arabian Powder | 1957 | Reginald Spink | Three Comedies | 1 act. |
| Kildereisen | The Healing Spring | 1957 | Reginald Spink | Three Comedies | 3 acts. Translated as a prologue & 1 act. |
| Erasmus Montanus eller Rasmus Berg | Erasmus Montanus | 1989 | Petter Næss | Erasmus Montanus | 5 acts. |
| Den Politiske Kandestøber | The Political Tinker | 1990 | Gerald S. Argetsinger & Sven Hakon Rossel | Jeppe of the Hill and Other Comedies | 5 acts. |
| Jean de France eller Hans Frandsen | Jean de France; or, Hans Frandsen | 1990 | Gerald S. Argetsinger & Sven Hakon Rossel | Jeppe of the Hill and Other Comedies | 5 acts. |
| Jeppe på bjerget eller den forvandlede Bonde | Jeppe of the Hill; or, The Transformed Peasant | 1990 | Gerald S. Argetsinger & Sven Hakon Rossel | Jeppe of the Hill and Other Comedies | 5 acts. |
| Ulysses von Ithacia | Ulysses von Ithacia; or, A German Comedy | 1990 | Gerald S. Argetsinger & Sven Hakon Rossel | Jeppe of the Hill and Other Comedies | 5 acts. |
| Erasmus Montanus eller Rasmus Berg | Erasmus Montanus; or, Rasmus Berg | 1990 | Gerald S. Argetsinger & Sven Hakon Rossel | Jeppe of the Hill and Other Comedies | 5 acts. |
| Julestuen | The Christmas Party | 1990 | Gerald S. Argetsinger & Sven Hakon Rossel | Jeppe of the Hill and Other Comedies | 1 act. |
| Pernilles korte Frøkenstand | Pernille's Brief Experience as a Lady | 1990 | Gerald S. Argetsinger & Sven Hakon Rossel | Jeppe of the Hill and Other Comedies | 3 acts. |
| Den Danske Comoedies Liigbegængelse | The Burial of Danish Comedy, with Thalia's Farewell Speech | 1990 | Gerald S. Argetsinger & Sven Hakon Rossel | Jeppe of the Hill and Other Comedies | 1 act. |
| Jeppe på bjerget eller den forvandlede Bonde | Jeppe of the Hill | 1999 | Michael Leverson Meyer | Three Danish Comedies | 5 acts. |
| Den Stundesløse | The Scatterbrain | 1999 | Michael Leverson Meyer | Three Danish Comedies | 3 acts. |
| Jeppe på bjerget eller den forvandlede Bonde | Jeppe of the Hill | 2020 | Bent Holm & Gaye Kynoch | Plays: 1 | 5 acts. |
| Ulysses von Ithacia | Ulysses von Ithacia | 2020 | Bent Holm & Gaye Kynoch | Plays: 1 | 5 acts. |
| Erasmus Montanus eller Rasmus Berg | Erasmus Montanus | 2022 | Bent Holm & Gaye Kynoch | Plays: 2 | 5 acts. |
| Hekseri eller Blind alarm | Witchcraft, or False Alarm | 2022 | Bent Holm & Gaye Kynoch | Plays: 2 | 5 acts. |