The William E. Stafford Archives, Series 1, Sub-Series 6: Stafford's Translations of Other Authors, 1962-1992

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Stafford, William, 1914-1993
Title
The William E. Stafford Archives, Series 1, Sub-Series 6: Stafford's Translations of Other Authors
Dates
1962-1992 (inclusive)
Quantity
1 cubic foot, (2 boxes)
Collection Number
OLPb109STA
Summary
William Stafford (1914-1993) was one of the most prolific and important American poets of the last half of the twentieth century. This subseries of the collection includes handwritten, typed, and published versions of translations of poems by other authors, along with with correspondence about the projects. The Index to the entire Stafford Archives can be found at: http://nwda-db.wsulibs.wsu.edu/findaid/ark:/80444/xv83782
Repository
Lewis & Clark College, Special Collections and Archives

Aubrey R. Watzek Library
615 S. Palatine Hill Rd.
Portland, OR
97219
Telephone: 5037687758
Fax: 5037687282
archives@lclark.edu
Access Restrictions

This collection has no restrictions and is open for research.

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

William Stafford (1914-1993) was one of the most prolific and important American poets of the last half of the twentieth century. Among his many credentials, Stafford served as consultant in poetry at the Library of Congress, and received the National Book Award for his poetry collection Traveling through the Dark (1963). During his lifetime, Stafford wrote over sixty books of poetry that still resonate with both scholars and general readers. Stafford’s perspectives on peace, the environment, and education serve as some of the most articulate and engaging dialogues by a modern American writer about three of the most important issues of the second half of the twentieth century with lasting impacts on future generations. Howard Zinn, one America’s most iconic modern historians, was keenly aware of Stafford’s insight into modern American culture. Zinn claimed, “William Stafford’s prose and poetry, wise and eloquent, speak directly to the violence of our time, and to our hope for a different world” (from cover of Every War Has Two Losers).

The William Stafford Archives, donated to Lewis & Clark College by the Stafford family in 2008, contain the private papers, publications, photographs, recordings, and teaching materials of the poet William Stafford. The Lewis & Clark College Special Collections actively add to this collection by acquiring unique Stafford related materials.

Stafford wrote every day of his life from 1950 to 1993. These 20,000 pages of daily writings form a complete record of the poet’s mostly early morning meditations, including poem drafts, dream records, aphorisms, and other visits to the unconscious, recorded on separate sheets of yellow or white paper or when traveling, often in spiral-bound reporters’ steno pads. The archive also includes typescripts of poems submitted for publication and for use in readings. Stafford listed where he submitted each poem, and whether it was accepted for publication on the typescript. Each of his published collections, large and small, is represented by its gathering of documentary copies (typescripts), called by Stafford a “put-together.” Unpublished poems, poems published in journals, and reading copies of published poems were also gathered, in a virtually complete record from 1937 to 1993, totaling about 7,000 items. The collection also includes copies of all known Stafford books and translations. Stafford saved correspondence received, with an indication of the date of reply, and sometimes a copy of the reply, from the early 1960s to August 1993. Estimated at 100,000 sheets, the collected correspondence contains some full exchanges of correspondence initiated by WS. One such exchange is the correspondence with Marvin Bell on their sequence Segues. In addition to many photographs of and relating to William Stafford, the archive includes an estimated 20,000 photographs and negatives taken and developed by Stafford of fellow poets, family, friends, and Lewis & Clark College faculty. The archive provides documentation of Stafford's teaching career, including more than one thousand index cards, some dating from research at Iowa, others from later. These were much used in preparing for classes, workshops, and lectures. The files also contain scattered notes for workshops and lectures. The archive also includes course syllabi, and faculty documents relating to Stafford's teaching years at Lewis & Clark College.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Books printed in the English language.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Permission to publish, exhibit, broadcast, or quote from materials in the Watzek Library Archives & Special Collections requires written permission of the Head of Archives & Special Collections.

Preferred Citation

The William Stafford Archives, Lewis & Clark College Aubrey Watzek Library Archives & Special Collections, Portland, Oregon.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Materials in this sub-series are grouped alphabetically by the original language of the work, and then chronologically within language. All of the published materials in this sub-series are described in detail in section C of William Stafford: An Annotated Bibliography (2012) by James Pirie.

Location of Collection

Special Collections

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 1.1 Correspondence relating to translation, 1962-1963
Elizabeth Kray (Poetry Center) on Bollingen project; Paul Luenow on translating Marco Antonio Montes de Oca (Spanish), with a number of unused drafts; other correspondence regarding Montes de Oca.
1962-1963
1 1.2 Correspondence relating to translation, 1965-1966
Elizabeth Kray (Academy of American Poets) on Bollingen Project. (Editor Jean Garrigne, published by Ohio University Press, 1970); Hardie St. Martin Roots and Wings, Aleixandre, Gonzalez, Lorea, Hidalgo, Unamuno; Herbert Baird, Oca, Hidalgo, Gonzalez, Aleixandre; Lillian Jean Stafford (WS's nephew's wife, Mr. Rob Stafford); Unamuno, George Lanning, (Kenyon Review); Oca, Unamuno, Montes de Oca, Robin Skelton (Malahat Review); Gonzalez, Aleixandre, Hidalgo.
1965-1966
1 1.3 Letter to Stuart Friebert, 30 June 1989 on possibility of a translated volume
Friebert, at Oberlin was co-editor with David Young, of Field. Additional correspondence regarding this topic is located in box 62, folder 62.4.
June 30, 1989
1 1.4 BULGARIAN--Georgi Belev - Correspondence
William Stafford correspondence with Richard Harris and W.M. Meredith on the poet Georgi Belev.
June 14, 1991
1 1.5 BULGARIAN--Georgi Belev "Birth"
Original and translation by William Stafford.
1991
1 1.6 BULGARIAN--Georgi Belev "Children"
Original and translation by William Stafford.
1991
1 1.7 BULGARIAN--Georgi Belev "Comeuppance"
Original and translation by William Stafford.
undated
1 1.8 BULGARIAN--Georgi Belev "It's Coming"
Original and translation by William Stafford.
undated
1 1.9 BULGARIAN--Georgi Belev "Lavender"
Original and translation by William Stafford.
undated
1 1.10 BULGARIAN--Georgi Belev Window and the Black Sea: Bulgarian Poetry in Translation [Text]
Translations of poems by Georgi Belev by William Stafford for Carnegie Mellon University Press.
1992
1 1.11 BULGARIAN--Original and literal translations of Georgi Belev poems, not translated by William Stafford
Includes the poems "August" Childhood", "The Forester", "Garden with Stone Fence and Quince Trees", "Hide and Seek", "Lake; Moth", "Museum", "Simultaneous Death of Salome and John the Baptist", "Spaces", "Vision".
undated
1 1.12 CATALAN-- Letter to Vance Savage, with a version of a translated poem
Poem "Youth of Gold in the Grey Waves" draft translation by William Stafford, and Vance Savage. Author unknown.
July 3, 1973
1 1.13 CATALAN-- Letter to Jaume P. Montaner and Vance Savage
Relating to Four poems by Estelles and one by Montaner.
October 9, 1975
1 1.14 CATALAN--Vincent Andres Estelles "Come Death Limping on Her Broken Bone"
Translation by William Stafford with Jaume P. Montaner and Vance Savage of "Si re la Mort…" (Catalan); or "Si Viene la Muerte…" (Spanish).
undated
1 1.15 CATALAN--Vincent Andres Estelles "Death, Explained to a Kid in the Neighborhood"
Translation by William Stafford, Jaume P. Montaner, and Vance Savage of "La Mort, contrasa al nen del veinat" (Catalan) or "La Muerte, contada al nino vecindario".
undated
1 1.16 CATALAN--Vincent Andres Estelles "I'd Like to Write, Even Now, a Nice poem"
Translation by William Stafford, Jaume P. Montaner, and Vance Savage of "Volgues escriure, ara amable poema" (Catalan) or "Quisiera escribir, aborah, un amable poema" (Spanish). Published in Grilled Flowers 2:1 Spring/Summer 1977, p.5.
undated
1 1.17 CATALAN--Vincent Andres Estellet "Lady of Last Night"
Translation by William Stafford, Jaume P. Montaner, and Vance Savage, from "Dama de Anoche" (Catalan). Published in Paris Review 68 (Winter 1976) p. 156.
undated
1 1.18 CATALAN--Jaume P. Montaner "The Last Hours"
Translated by William Stafford and Vance Savage of "Les Horas Postresas". No evidence of publication.
undated
1 1.19 CATALAN--Charles Riba Translations
Five poems translated by William Stafford and Jaume P. Montaner. Includes "Glory of Salamina", "I Think of the Heart", "Sunion", "Tannkas of the Four Seasons". "Tannkas of the Return". Also includes letter to Montaner, 17 May 1976.
c. 1976
1 1.20 ENGLISH--Longfellow "Boston Pidgin Poetic" with "20th Century Lingo"
Translation by William Stafford of "Milton" with undated typed comments on different kinds of translations.
undated
1 1.21 FRENCH--Rene Guy Cadou "Who Risks it where a Poet Lives" aka "Life in Things"
Translation of "Celui qui entre par hasard" by William Stafford for the Anthology of French Poetry (U. of Michigan Press 1965) p. 111.
c. 1976
1 1.22 FRENCH--Victor Hugo "Tomorrow at Dawn"
Translation by William Stafford of "Demain des l'aube". No evidence of publication.
undated
2 2.1 JAPANESE--Rin Ishigaki "Nameplate"
Translation by William Stafford and Yorifumi Yaguchi. Published in Exhibition 6:2 (Summer 1990) p. 5.
undated
2 2.2 JAPANESE--Masao Nonagase, Ten poems.
Preface and translation of ten poems of Masao Nonagase by Junko Yoshida, lightly edited by William Stafford.
undated
2 2.3 JAPANESE--Shuntaro Tanikawa "Dung"
Translation by William Stafford and Yorifumi Yaguchi. Published in South Coast Poetry Journal (Spring 1986) p. 37.
undated
2 2.4 JAPANESE--Shuntaro Tanikawa "Hi There"
Translation by William Stafford and Yorifumi Yaguchi. Published in Artful Dodge 18/19 (1990), p. 15.
undated
2 2.5 JAPANESE--Shuntaro Tanikawa "The Back"
Translation by William Stafford and Yorifumi Yaguchi. No evidence of publication.
undated
2 2.6 JAPANESE--Shuntaro Tanikawa "From the Afterworld"
Translation by William Stafford and Yorifumi Yaguchi. Published in Field 33 (fall 1985), pp. 71-72.
undated
2 2.7 SPANISH--Vicente Aleixandre "In Front of the Mirror"
Translation by William Stafford and Herbert Baird of "Ante el Espejo". Published in Malahat Review 4 (Oct. 1967), pp. 56-57.
undated
2 2.8 SPANISH--Carlos Bousono "Litany to tell how you love me"
Translation draft by Vance Savage, considered for translation by William Stafford, no draft seen.
undated
2 2.9 SPANISH--Francisco Brines "La Gloire" and "Beggar of Reality"
Translation of "Onor" by William Stafford and Vance Savage, and "Mendigo de Realidad" by Vance Savage. No evidence of publication.
undated
2 2.10 SPANISH--Leon Felipe, Three poems.
Translations by William Stafford with Lillian Jean Stafford. No evidence of publication.
undated
2 2.11 SPANISH--Gabriel Ferrater, Four poems.
Translations by William Stafford, with draft translations by Jaume P. Montaner. No evidence of publication.
undated
2 2.12 SPANISH--Angel Gonzalez "The Battlefield"
Translation of Angel Gonzale "El Campo de Batalia" by William Stafford and Herbert Baird.
undated
2 2.13 SPANISH--Angel Gonzalez "Summer in Slumville"
Translation of Angel Gonzalez "Estio en Bidonville" by William Stafford and Herbert Baird. Published in The Malahat Review 4 (Oct. 1967), pp. 60-61.
undated
2 2.14 SPANISH--Jose Luis Hidalgo "You Have to Go Down"
Translation of Jose Luis Hidalgo 'Hay Que Bajar" by William Stafford and Herbert Baird. Published in The Malahat Review 4 (Oct. 1967). pp. 58-59.
undated
2 2.15 SPANISH--Federico Garcia Lorca "Quarrel"
Translation of Federico Garcia Lorca "Reyerta" by William Stafford and Herbert Baird. Published in Kenyon Review 29:5 (No. 1967), pp. 662-663.
undated
2 2.16 SPANISH--Marco Antonio Montes de Oca "Song for Celebrating What Won't Die"
Translation of Montes de Oca "Cancion Para Celebrar lo que no Muere" by William Stafford and Paul Luenow. Published in Translations by American Poets (Athens: Ohio University Press, 1970), pp. 325-327.
undated
2 2.17 SPANISH--Marco Antonio Montes de Oca "The Clown's Farewell"
Translation of Montes de Oca "La Despedida del Bufon" by William Stafford and Paul Luenow. Published in The Kenyon Review 27:2 (Spring 1965), pp. 237-238/
1965
2 2.18 SPANISH--Marco Antonio Montes de Oca "9"
Translation of Montes de Oca "Nueve" by William Stafford and Paul Luenow. Published in The Kenyon Review 27:2 (Spring 1965), pp. 236-237.
1965
2 2.19 SPANISH--Marco Antonio Montes de Oca "The Unreachable Sun"
Translation of Montes de Oca "El Sol que no se Alcanza" by William Stafford and Paul Luenow. Published in The Kenyon Review 27:2 (Spring 1965), pp. 233-235.
1965
2 2.20 SPANISH--Marco Antonio Montes de Oca, 33 versions of poems by Paul Luenow
33 versions of Montes de Oca poems translated by Paul Luenow. Not completed by William Stafford or published.
undated
2 2.21 SPANISH--Marco Antonio Montes de Oca and Jaume P. Montaner
Two volumes by Montes de Oca and one by Montaner. Source materials for translations by William Stafford and associates.
undated
2 2.22 SPANISH--Francisco de Quevedo "These Times"
Free translation by William Stafford. Acceptance Second Growth (Oct. 1975), Not seen.
undated
2 2.23 SPANISH--Miguel de Unamuno "It Is Night, in My Study"
Translation of Miguel de Unamuno "Es de Noche, en Mi Estudio" by William Stafford and Lillian Jean Stafford. Published in Kenyon Review 29:4 (Sept. 1967), pp. 526-527.
undated
2 2.24 SPANISH--Cesar Vallejo "Messengers of Dark"
Two translation drafts of Cesar Vallejo "Messengers of Dark" by William Stafford. No typescript, or evidence of publication.
c. 1960
2 2.25 SPANISH--William Stafford On Urdu and Spanish
Interview with William Stafford on translating. Published in Poet News (Sept. 1984).
1984
2 2.26 URDU--Ghalib, Poems by Ghalib
Versions of poems by Ghalib translated by William Stafford, Aijaz Ahmad, and Adrienne Rich. Included is copy of Poems by Ghalib (1969)
undated
2 2.27 URDU--Ghalib, Mahfil,5:4 (1968-1969)
Translation versions, and notes for Mahfil publication by William Stafford, Aijaz Ahmad, and Adrienne Rich. Includes copy of Mahfil 5:4 (1968-1969).
undated
2 2.28 URDU--Ghalib in Hudson Review 22:4 (Winter 1969-1970)
Introduction and translations of Ghalib by William Stafford and Aijaz Ahmad for the Hudson Review 22:4 (Winter 1969-1970).
undated
2 2.29 URDU--Ghalib Centennial Tribute
Program guide of Ghalib tribute event at the University of Minnesota.
January 20, 1970
2 2.30 URDU--Ghalib in Delos, 5 (1970)
Translation of Ghalib by William Stafford. Published in Delos 5 (1970), p. 152.
1970
2 2.31 URDU--Ghalib in Malahat Review 14 (April 1970)
Translation of Ghalib by William Stafford, and Aijaz Ahmad. Published in Malahat Review 14 (April 1970), p. 19.
1970
2 2.32 URDU--Ghazals of Ghalib (1971)
Translations of Ghalib by William Stafford and associates for Ghazals of Ghalib ed. By Aijaz Ahmed, Columbia University Press (1971). Relating correspondence and multiple drafts located in box 77b of Editorial Correspondence files 77B.4-77B.9.
1971
2 2.33 URDU--Ghalib in Mademoiselle (Jan. 1972).
Translation of Ghalib by William Stafford published in Mademoiselle (Jan. 1972). p. 50.
1972
2 2.34 URDU--Ghalib in Asia 25 (Spring 1972)
Translation of Ghalib by William Stafford and Aijaz Ahmad. Published in Asia 25 (Spring 1972), pp. 9-10.
1972
2 2.35 URDU--Ghalib, Catalog of Ghalib (New Delhi)
Catalog of Ghalib, with list of Poems by Ghalib (including William Stafford translations) p. 8, #2
1972
2 2.36 URDU--William Stafford On Urdu and Spanish
Interview with William Stafford on translating. Published in Poet News (Sept. 1984). [contains section on Ghalib]
1984

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Pacifism--Poetry.
  • Pacifism--United States.
  • Poetry -- Authorship.
  • Poetry -- Study and teaching.
  • Poetry--20th century.
  • Poets, American--20th century.
  • World War, 1939-1945 -- Conscientious objectors -- United States.

Personal Names

  • Stafford, Dorothy
  • Stafford, William, 1914-1993--Archives

Corporate Names

  • Lewis & Clark College (Portland, Or.)

Geographical Names

  • Kansas.
  • Oregon.

Other Creators

  • Personal Names
    • Stafford, Kim (creator)