Letter from George Yeats to Thomas MacGreevy. 8 June [1928].

[p.1 recto]

82, Merrion Square
Dublin
Tel. 61831
June 8 28

My dear Tom

I want to spend Tuesday Monday 18th night in Paris on my way to Montreux. And I have lost the list of hotels you sent me. So I am writing to the hotel nearest to the station! I shall let you know what time the train gets in for it would be nice to be met!

Life has been pretty hectic. But Willy is now recovering from the O'CaseySean O'Casey had without permission published the correspondence over the Abbey Theatre's rejection of The Silver Tassie.^note behaviourisms — he was really knocked up for two days, and had to stay in bed. And before that there seemed no end to the amount there was to do — a long German thesis to be translated to him (a Bonn student writing for a "doctorat") then just as that was finished, all the O'Casey stunt.

The house is now definitely sold. Its rather horrid, but inevitable. I have to move out by August 1.

Dont be too cross with Tinche because he asked to see one scene of the french translation of Whiteheaded Boy. Every writer has to do that. Personally I have never given permission to any translator, no matter who he was, without seeing a "specimen". It is the usual custom. In two [p.1 verso]cases I refused permission ( one French and one German) to men whose own work I admire quite a lot! They simply couldnt translate. Its a totally different art, and I'm not at all sure that any good writer can translate, or any good translator write! Its the same sort of difference as music and opera. I should certainly, had you suggested doing a translation of W.B. have made the sam same demand. There's a man called Herlitschka making translations of all Willy's verse and verse plays into German, Herbert E. Herlitschka translated some of WBY's stories and poems into German in 1927^noteand his translations are beautiful — but the man's own work, and there is almost nothing of it, is negligible. I've been reading your translation of Valery to Willy — we both think it a better translation than the American one, but I do think the first part the first six or seven pages need some slight revisions, it isnt very clear, I dont feel as if some words were used very precisely. Willy says he likes the essay better than he did "but perhaps I did not read it very carefully before." He doesnt think Macmillan would take it in separate form, alone, but might take it if part of a volume. However I havent finished reading it to him [p.2 recto]yet, it is a slowish business as much time is filled up by O'Casey and W. isnt well enough for prolonged attention to anything. This isnt saying he is ill; he is just a bit done up.

Yours

G.