Boethius’ Latin classic, On the Consolation of Philosophy, has been translated into every level of the English language, from Old to Middle to Modern. The author’s deep humanity has made it, of all ancient written works, the most translated into English, far more than Homer and the Bible, a distinction that Peter Glassgold’s collaged renderings seek to reflect. Chief among its many translators are King Alfred the Great, Chaucer, and Elizabeth I. Glassgold’s collaged renderings of the poems respond to this history as much as they make them new. His startlingly original Boethius, in an expanded edition, includes his translations along with the original Latin, his Introduction and Afterword, his Note on Texts, Method, and Pronunciation, and a thorough Glossary of Early English words. Charles Bernstein contributes an informative Foreword, which places these translations into the tradition of word- and soundplay in translation.

—World Poetry Books. 2024.