To Spin is Miracle Cat

by Roger Zelazny

Poetry by Roger Zelazny with an introduction by Ursula Le Guin.

Hardcover

First published October 1, 1981

About the author

Roger Joseph Zelazny was an American fantasy and science fiction writer known for his short stories and novels, best known for The Chronicles of Amber. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nominations) and the Hugo Award six times (also out of 14 nominations), including two Hugos for novels: the serialized novel ...And Call Me Conrad (1965), subsequently published under the title This Immortal (1966), and the novel Lord of Light (1967).

Reviews

[Иван Величков · Rating 3 out of 5]

Зелазни е искал да стане поет. Не разбирам достатъчно от материята, но ми се струва, че трябва да сме благодарни, че е вкарал поетичното си мислене в проза.
Някой стихове ми харесаха много, някой не. Първите, обаче са повече от половината.
TESTAMENT

Strange, that here I should think of you.
The ashes are not bitter,
nor the dust excessive.
There are no trees
to hold the three small beasts:
fear, shame, and mocking laughter ...

but yesterday discomfort
fell back across this path,
sapping seas of innocence
I'd builded a waste:
diminutive dimples of darkness
slashed shadow to prairie dog's stare:

adjudicant , still angel cast of browness,
preposition to fire, despair ...

И да се направя и аз на преводач:
ЗАВЕТ

Странно, че тук още мисля за вас
пепелта не горчи ми,
ни прахта прекомерно.
И няма дървета
да спрат трите зверчета:
страх, срам и присмех злобен...

но вчерашни тревоги
засенчиха тоз път,
изпил море невинност
оставих пуст пейзаж:
миниатрюрни вълнички тъма
къс сянка в прерийно кучешко бдение:
присъда, ала под ангелски крила,
кафеникав сигнал за стрелба, крушение...

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

This poetry by one of my favorite "New Wave" SF&Fantasy writers was a real discovery, which I didn't know existed. Like his novels, it helps to be well-grounded in literature and mythology. This collection contains examples of sonnets, parodies, and a few concerned with writing SF. All in all, an interesting collection.