Today's Read Team In Memoriam: Pierre Joris, Poet and Translator
February 27, 2023
Life and Legacy
Pierre Joris, a luminary in the realms of poetry and translation, passed away at age 78 at his home in Brooklyn, New York. His wife, Nicole Peyrafitte, confirmed that his death was due to complications from cancer.
Throughout his career, Joris authored numerous poetry and prose works, but he is perhaps best known for his extensive translations of Paul Celan—a poet hailed by many critics as one of the most profound European voices in post-World War II literature.
Confronting Celan’s Complex Legacy
The haunting beauty of Celan’s poetry is deeply intertwined with the Holocaust’s impact on his life, which is reflected in his work. Celan, who lost both parents to Nazi persecution, struggled to reconcile his identity and the German language he associated with a painful past. His suicide in 1970 marked a tragic end to a life steeped in existential questioning, leaving behind a formidable legacy.
Joris first encountered Celan’s poetry as a teenager, where the haunting lines of “Death Fugue,” written in memory of Celan’s mother, resonated deeply with him. He described this experience as “an epiphany,” acknowledging the overwhelming impact of Celan’s words.
Translation as an Artistic Act
In his translation work, particularly in “Breathturn Into Timestead” (2014), Mr. Joris aimed to capture the essence of Celan’s late poetry, notorious for its “untranslatability,” as noted by literary critic Adam Kirsch. Despite the complexities involved, Joris embraced the challenge of interpreting Celan’s unique linguistic style into English.
Over more than five decades, Joris contributed significantly to Celan’s body of work, producing several volumes of translations that sought to reflect the poet’s innovative use of language. He often favored a strategy that prioritized the fidelity to Celan’s neologisms, pushing back against simpler, more accessible translations.
Artistic Philosophy and Inspiration
Joris believed in the interpretative latitude afforded to translators, understanding the inherent challenges of translating psychological and historical allusions in Celan’s poetry. Critics, including Michael Wood, praised his willingness to embrace the strangeness of Celan’s diction, further deepening the connection between the original text and English readers.
In a 2023 conversation, Joris characterized Celan as “the bruised, weary, suspicious survivor,” highlighting the deeply personal nature of the poet’s work, which was often designed to “witness for the witness.”
A Multifaceted Career
Pierre Joris was born on July 14, 1946, in Strasbourg, France. Raised in Luxembourg, he navigated a multilingual backdrop that helped shape his literary voice. Joris’s academic journey led him through studies in both France and the United States, culminating in a Ph.D. in comparative literature from the State University of New York at Binghamton.
Aside from translating Celan, Joris authored his own poetry collections, such as “Poasis: Selected Poems 1986-1999” and “Barzakh: Poems 2000-2012,” and published essays exploring nomadic philosophies in literature. His passion for translation stemmed from a complex relationship with language itself, as he relished in experimenting with the musicality of different tongues.
