David Luke (1921–2005) was a scholar of

German literature German literature () comprises those literature, literary texts written in the German language. This includes literature written in Germany, Austria, the German parts of Switzerland and Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, South Tyrol in Italy a ...

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniqu ...

. He was renowned for his translations of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Thomas Mann, Heinrich von Kleist, Eduard Mörike, Adalbert Stifter and the Brothers Grimm. He won the European Poetry Translation Prize – subsequently renamed the Popescu Prize – in 1989 for his translation of Part I of Goethe's ''Faust''. In 2000, the German-British Forum awarded him a medal of honour for his contributions to cultural relations between the UK and Germany. According to one 2017 appraisal, Luke's translation of Goethe's ''Faust'' is said to "allow Goethe's complex and varied meanings to emerge, including his philosophic and religious skepticism" and is described as "being more open to the conflicts and contradictions, theological and secular, virtues and vices, and idealism and cynicism than many translations into English". Luke described translation as being "the art of the least intolerable sacrifice ... the instinctive choice between competing imperfections". His literary agent and others have commented that he was "famed for his love of playing Wagner at maximum volume". He was friends with W. H. Auden and Iris Murdoch.

Translations

* 1964 – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, ''Selected Verse'', Penguin * 1966 – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, ''Conversations and Encounters'', Oswald Wolff * 1968 – Adalbert Stifter, ''Limestone and Other Stories'', Harcourt, Brace & World * 1968 – Adalbert Stifter, , Cape Editions * 1977 – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, '' Roman Elegies'', Chatto & Windus * 1978 – Heinrich von Kleist, ''

The Marquise of O ''The Marquise of O'' (german: Die Marquise von O....) is a novella by Heinrich von Kleist on the subject of forced seduction. It was first published in 1808. Synopsis The story begins with a one-sentence paragraph -- the widowed Marquise von O. ...

'', Penguin * 1982 –

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm The Brothers Grimm ( or ), Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859), were a brother duo of German academics, philologists, cultural researchers, lexicographers, and authors who together collected and published folklore. They are among the ...

, ''Selected Tales'', Penguin * 1987 – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, '' Faust, Part One'', Oxford University Press * 1987 – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, ''

Hermann and Dorothea ''Hermann and Dorothea'' is an epic poem, an idyll, written by German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe between 1796 and 1797, and was to some extent suggested by Johann Heinrich Voss's ''Luise'', an idyll in hexameters, which was first publishe ...

'' * 1988 – Thomas Mann, '' Death in Venice'', Bantam Books * 1988 – Thomas Mann, ''

The Road to the Churchyard "The Road to the Churchyard" () is a short story by Thomas Mann. Initially appeared in 1900 in ''Simplicissimus''. Appeared in 1903 in an anthology of Mann's six short stories, entitled collectively as Six Novellen. Published after his death as par ...

'' * 1994 – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, '' Faust, Part Two'', Oxford World Classics * 1994 – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, ''Erotic Poems'', Oxford World Classics

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Luke, David 1921 births 2005 deaths People associated with Christ Church, Oxford Literary scholars 20th-century British translators Translators of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Translators of Thomas Mann