I and Thou January 15 > Likes and Comments

For discussion of Martin Buber's I and Thou on January 15. See next post for information regarding the different translators that may influence which edition you buy or borrow.

There are two available translations of I and Thou in the English language.

The better known is by Walter Kaufman. Amazon carries many editions of his translation, which is quite popular. Kaufman did not like Buber's use of "Thou", which he considered archaic, and therefore use the terminology "I and You".

However, according to Buber, the I-Thou connection in many ways is one of communion and often reverence, elevating it about our normal daily interactions. The word "Thou" somewhat implies this.

Since "you" is such an ordinary word, some people (including myself) may prefer the transliation by Ronald Gregor Smith which uses "Thou".

That translation is also popular. Fewer editions of it are listed on Amazon, but it is readily available, and in fact a current search for "I and Thou" at Amazon lists that translation first.

The picture and listing of this Ronald Gregor Smith translation do not indicate the translator, But the recent edition is a black book with a somewhat bizarre (in my opinion, totally irrelevant) picture on the cover of a naked man of color apparently knocking down a tower. That edition (at least the one that I have), indicates Martino Publishing and and Charles Scribner 's Sons as the publisher(s).

Which edition should you get? It really doesn't matter. But you might want to consider what I wrote above, and whether you prefer "You" or "Thou" in regard to Buber's discussion of "I/Thou" communion and our normal "I/It approach to people and our world.

from a google search:

"The two main English translations of Martin Buber's
I and Thou (Ich und Du) are the 1937 translation by Ronald Gregor Smith and the 1970 translation by Walter Kaufmann.

Smith's translation was prepared with Buber's input and is considered the definitive version by some, while Kaufmann's version offers a new translation with extensive notes and prologue that address ambiguities in the earlier translation and the use of the archaic "thou."

"Kaufmann's version is noted for providing valuable context for readers who may not be familiar with Buber's work, while Smith's translation benefited directly from Buber's direct input during the translation process."

A comment by someone who prefers the use of "You" (note: the title is the same in both translations): "Thou immediately brings to mind God; Du (you) does not. And the God of whom it makes us think is not the God to whom one might be connecting or crying out."

My additional comment: Although I prefer the choice of "Thou", I am thoroughly familiar with Buber's thought - in fact did an independent study on him more than 50 years ago, in college - and am not struggling with understanding what he's saying.

Maybe the Kaufman edition with its clarifications might be the easier read for those of you unfamiliar with Buber's thought. Buber is not easy to read; his writing style make his very straightforward concepts seem more complicated than they are.

But either edition is fine. Or like me, you can use both!

As I begin to turn my mind toward reading for January, the information about the two primary translations and the more modern change to I and You as clanged a bit in my thoughts.

Though I am comfortable with the modernization of language used in sacred spaces to reflect the current vernacular, there is a special vibe to retaining the "Thou". I think, for me at least, because "Thou" continues to encapsulate an added reverence which opens us to the divine, the idea of I and Thou encourages a similatr reverence of the divine in one another as we begin to consider the work of Buber.