16 Misc Laff: "The Grenadiers"

Heinrich Heine (1797–1856) was one of Lafferty’s favorite poets. At one point, he wrote to Sheryl Smith about his experience translating him, saying, "I didn't know you translated Heine. So did I when I was a young person. So did Henry James when he was young, and Maurice Baring, and Lord Acton. Heine avoids the hoppety-hop himself, but most of his translators fall into it. I did."

Heine’s “The Grenadiers” (written c. 1816) is a lyric about loyalty, honor, and the pull of national identity in the aftermath of defeat. The backdrop is the Napoleonic Wars, and the poem follows two French soldiers returning home after learning of Napoleon’s fall. Heine focuses on the psychological impact of their loss and their sense of devotion that goes beyond reason. The following is a typical example of how Lafferty translated him. It likely appealed to Lafferty for its resurrection motif and its use of the recurring “sleeping king” theme he often revisits.