George Herbert (1593-1623), la lettre et l’esprit Un défi pour la traduction

How does one translate the different poetic layers of meaning in George ­Herbert’s writing? One must negotiate between the verbal play, which tends toward a fine, evasive wit and the deliberate simplicity of its lyricism. Numerous texts ­consequently neutralize the uncertainty principle and, inversely, others try to make the target text “Baroque” and therefore lose the musicality of the text.