Karem, Maurice

Maurice Karem was born on May 12, 1899 in Wavre, in the family of an artist and a grocer. He had two sisters (one died before the age of one day) and two brothers (one of them died at eight months old). He spent his childhood and youth in Wavre. At age 15, he wrote his first poems inspired by a childhood friend, Bertha Detry. He never stops writing. A bright student, he receives a scholarship and enters the École Normale. Despite the fact that Maurice grew up in modest conditions, his childhood was very happy, which was reflected in his works ^[5] . In 1918, he was appointed teacher in Anderlecht. He left Wavre and settled in a suburb of Brussels. * In 1919 he founded the literary magazine Our Youth (Nos Jeunes), renamed in 1920 the Independent Magazine (La Revue indépendante). Maurice Carem first collaborated with Anthologie de Georges Linze, then joined La Revue sincère (1922).

In 1933, he built a house called the “White House” (“La Maison blanche”) in Anderlecht, Nelli Melba Ave, which is now the museum of Maurice Karem. He died on January 13, 1978, at the age of 78.

Depicted on a 1986 Belgian postage stamp.

Karem - one of the largest French-speaking poets of the XX century , the author of 60 poetry collections. In 1972 in Paris he was proclaimed the “king of poets”, and his poems were translated into more than 100 languages ​​of the world.

The main direction of Karem’s work was children's poems, and Andre Gorbon dedicated the collection of “Tales for Caprina” to Karem. ^[6]

According to Mikhail Yasnov , one of the translators of Karem’s poetry into Russian, Karem

during his lifetime he became a classic of children's poetry. We can say that all the children's poets of modern France are somehow connected with him - many were friends with him, many studied with him. For a quarter century he taught in the lower grades of his native Belgium. And although in 1926 he received the first literary prize, but only at the height of World War II decided to devote himself entirely to literature. He believed that a young reader should learn and love a lot of good, bright and cheerful poems - then in life he will be a kind and bright person. Poems of Karem - and he has published more than a dozen collections - are now known everywhere. These are lyrical and funny poems, verses addressed to God and to a simple child, verses joyful and sad ... They are included in textbooks and anthologies, studied in schools and read at home, because the whole world of childhood is concentrated in Karem’s poetry ^[7] .

At the same time, Karem’s poems intended for an adult readership are distinguished (with the exception of the early experiments in which the influence of surrealism and futurism is felt) simplicity, clarity and philosophical depth. As noted by Maurice Waxmacher , author of an article on Karema in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia ,

Pictures of native nature, philosophical thoughts, antiwar motives, poems about love - such is the circle of the main themes of Karem. <...> In some verses, the connection with folk song and ballad is undeniable. Karem is characterized by a cheerful vision of the world ^[8] .

In addition to Mikhail Yasnov , the works of Maurice Karem were translated into Russian by V. Berestov , A. Timonin, M. Waxmacher, L. Ziman and S. Nesterov. Maurice Karem’s poem "The Lame King ", which is perhaps the most famous in Russia, since Alexander Dulov wrote a popular song on it back in 1965, was translated by Mikhail Kudinov.

• In the collection: Poems of Belgian poets, M., 1959
• In the collection: From modern Belgian poetry, M., 1965M
• Poems for children, M., 1967
• Karem M. Elephants / per. with fr. V. Berestov . - Children's literature, 1980. - (For the little ones).
• Maurice Karem. / per. with fr. M. Kudinov. // From modern Belgian poetry. - M .: Progress, 1981.P. 7-76.
• Karem M. Maritime castle. - Petersburg - XXI century, 1999. - 286 p. - 5,000 copies. - ISBN 5-88485-065-4 .
• Karem M. The creation of the sixth day and other stories. - Center "Narnia", 2007. - (A chest of fairy tales). - 3000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-901975-54-1 .
• Karem M. Tales for Caprina = Contes pour Caprine. - Pink Giraffe , 2009 .-- 132 p. - 7000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-903497-21-8 .
• Karem M. Cats and mouse. - Pink Giraffe, 2010 .-- 64 p. - 7000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-903497-24-9 .
• Karem M. Poems. - Text , 2011 .-- 317 p. - 3000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-7516-0937-5 .

• Ziman L. Ya. Foreign literature for children and youth. - M .: Russian School Library Association, 2007. - 288 p. - (Professional library of the school librarian). - ISBN 978-5-902300-71-7 .

• Timonina A.P. The world of children and the world of adults in the poetry of Maurice Karem
• Alexander Dulov sings the song “The Lame King” to lyrics by Maurice Karem (video)