The Light of Asia, or The Great Renunciation, is the most significant work of the English poet Edwin Arnold ; It was first published in London in 1879. It is a poem that tells about the life, personality and philosophy of the Indian prince Siddhartha Gautama, who became, after Enlightenment, Buddha Shakyamuni , spiritual teacher, founder of Buddhism [K 1] [K 2] . The poem has been reprinted several times [K 3] [K 4] and has been translated into other languages. [K 5]
| Light of asia | |
|---|---|
| The light of asia | |
 1885 edition | |
| Genre | poem |
| Author | Edwin Arnold |
| Original language | English |
| Date of first publication | 1879 |
| Publishing house | |
From the history of writing
Arnold used the French translation of Lalitavistara , one of the most colorful and fictional biographies of Buddha created in India, as the main source. Nevertheless, he supplemented it with his metaphors and deepened important episodes from Gautama's life in order to enhance the dramatic nature of the story. The book became a favorite reading of Queen Victoria , and subsequently she elevated the author to knightly dignity. [6] Also for this work, the Siamese king awarded Arnold with the Order of the White Elephant [7] .
Stages and adaptations
American composer Dudley Buck (1839-1909), using the poem as the basis for the libretto, wrote in 1886 the oratorio "The Light of Asia" [K 6] ; a year later, its first public performance took place [9] . The Swedish composer Axel Wachtmeister [K 7] in his opera , the oratorio Tsarevich Siddhartha, mainly used the text of Arnold’s poem [10] . In 1925, according to Arnold’s book, the German-Indian film Prem Sanyas was shot .
Quoting
The following works by authors close to Buddhism contain stanzas from Arnold’s poem:
- Blavatsky E.P. “The Key to Theosophy ”. [K 8]
- Besant A. , Leadbeater C. "The Life of Alkion."
- Judge W.K. “The Ocean of Theosophy ”.
- Ginarajadasa C. "Practical Theosophy."
- Olcott G. S. "Life of the Buddha and its lessons."
Russian translation
The poem was first translated into Russian by A.N. Annenskaya . This translation, edited by V. V. Lesevich, was published in St. Petersburg in 1890 by the publishing house of V. A. Tikhanov [12] . In 1895, the publishing house of D. A. Bonch-Bruevich published the translation of A. M. Fedorov with the subtitle “Presentation in the Poetic Form of Buddhism” [13] . A reprint of this translation in 1906 came out with notes by Academician S.F. Oldenburg.
Editions
- The Light of Asia, Or the Great Renunciation (Mahabhinishkramana): Being the Life and Teaching of Gautama, Prince of India and Founder of Buddhism, As Told in Verse by an Indian Buddhist . - Taylor & Francis Group, 2016 .-- 172 p. - ISBN 9781138640658 .
- Light of Asia = The Light of Asia / Transl. from English A.N. Annenskaya. - SPb. : Tipolithography of V. A. Tikhanov, 1890 .-- 238 p.
- Light of Asia = The Light of Asia / Transl. from English A. M. Fedorova. - SPb. : Typographic lithography of D. A. Bonch-Bruevich, 1895. - 192 p.
Comments
- ↑ The narrative in the poem is conducted on behalf of “an imagined author of a zealous adherent of Buddhism,” who talks about the life and teachings of Buddha. [one]
- ↑ “Many legends related to Gautama’s life were skillfully collected and splendidly presented in the poem“ The Light of Asia ”by the English poet Edwin Arnold.” [2]
According to E.P. Blavatsky , the author of the poem demonstrated "a wonderful example of literary talent, the depth of philosophical thought and religious feeling." [3] - ↑ By 1886, the number of reprints reached 35. [four]
- ↑ In the United States alone, the poem "withstands 80 publications with a circulation of more than half a million copies." (See Buddhism in the USA # The Penetration and Development of Buddhism )
- ↑ "565 editions published between 1881 and 2013 in 12 languages and held by 2,580 WorldCat member libraries worldwide." [five]
- ↑ This is the first oratorio in the history of the genre, based on events from the life of Buddha. [eight]
- ↑ Axel Raoul Wachtmeister ( Swede. Axel Raoul Wachtmeister , 1865-1947) - the son of the Swedish Foreign Minister Karl Wachtmeister and Constance Wachtmeister , a friend and colleague of E.P. Blavatsky .
- ↑ Blavatsky highly valued Arnold. In a will dated January 31, 1885, she asks her friends to gather annually on the day of her death and read excerpts from The Light of Asia. [eleven]
Notes
- ↑ Britannica .
- ↑ Ramacharaka, 2007 , Chap. VII.
- ↑ Blavatsky, 1967 , p. 131.
- ↑ Formats and editions .
- ↑ WorldCat .
- ↑ Dictionary of Buddhism, 2013 , p. 63.
- ↑ ESBE, 1890 .
- ↑ Smither, 2000 , p. 453.
- ↑ Orr, 2008 , p. 98.
- ↑ Wachmeister, 1936 .
- ↑ Cranston, 1999 , Part 7/2.
- ↑ Arnold, 1890 .
- ↑ Arnold, 1895 .
Literature
- Arnold, Edwin 1832-1904 . OCLC WorldCat . Date of treatment March 29, 2016.
- Formats and Editions of "Light of Asia" . OCLC WorldCat . Date of treatment March 29, 2016.
- Sir Edwin Arnold Encyclopædia Britannica Online . Encyclopædia Britannica Inc .. Date accessed March 30, 2016.
- Blavatsky HP The Light of Asia // Collected Writings / Ed. B. De Zirkoff. - Wheaton, Ill: Theosophical Publishing House, 1967. - Vol. 2. - P. 130-135.
- Buswell RE , Lopez DS The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism . - Princeton: Princeton University Press , 2013 .-- 1304 p. - ISBN 9781400848058 .
- Orr NL Dudley Buck . - Reprint. - Champaign, Ill: University of Illinois Press , 2008 .-- 138 p. - (American composers). - ISBN 9780252032790 .
- Ramacharaka Y. The inner teachings of the philosophies and religions of India . - Reprint. Originally published in 1908. - New York: Cosimo, Inc., 2007. - 376 p. - ISBN 9781602066281 .
- Smither HE A History of the Oratorio: The oratorio in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries . - University of North Carolina Press, 2000. - 829 p. - ISBN 9780807825112 .
- Wachtmeister AR et al. Prince Siddhartha: opera-oratorio in two acts and twenty scenes . - Vocal score. - London: W. Paxton, 1936 .-- 144 p.
- Arnold, Edwin // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary . - SPb. , 1890. - T. 2. - S. 151.
- Cranston S.E. P. Blavatsky. The life and work of the founder of the modern Theosophical movement = HPB: the extraordinary life and influence of Helena Blavatsky, founder of the modern Theosophical movement / Ed. L. L. Danilova. - Riga: LIGATMA, 1999. - ISBN 5-7738-0017-9 .