Join BookitisSave favorites, build lists, and follow creators.

Roman de la Rose

Work detail

Bookitis Pick
Cover for Roman de la Rose
RD
Image source: Open Library
Charles DahlbergJean de MeunGuillaume de LorrisFirst published 14933 editions

Many English-speaking readers of the Roman de la rose, the famous dream allegory of the thirteenth century, have come to rely on Charles Dahlberg's elegant and precise translation of the Old French text. His line-by-line rendering in contemporary English is available again, this time in a third edition with an updated critical apparatus. Readers at all levels can continue to deepen their understanding of this rich tale about the Lover and his quest - against the admonishments of Reason and the obstacles set by Jealousy and Resistance - to pluck the fair Rose in the Enchanted Garden. The original introduction by Dahlberg remains an excellent overview of the work, covering such topics as the iconographic significance of the imagery and the use of irony in developing the central theme of love. His new preface reviews selected scholarship through 1990 and beyond, which examines, for example, the sources and influences, the two authors, the nature of the allegorical narrative as a genre, the use of first person, and the poem's early reception. The new bibliographic material incorporates that of the earlier editions. The sixty-four miniature illustrations from thirteenth- and fifteenth-century manuscripts are retained, as are the notes keyed to the Langlois edition, on which the translation is based.

Overview

Shared work-level identity and catalog context.

First publish date 14933 credited authorsSearch language english

Bookitis keeps work pages focused on the shared book identity and the editions that actually belong to it. Unrelated books should not appear here as primary content.

Contributors

People credited with this work in the active catalog.

  • Charles Dahlberg

    Author profile in the active Bookitis catalog

    Open Author
  • Jean de Meun

    Author profile in the active Bookitis catalog

    Open Author
  • Guillaume de Lorris

    Author profile in the active Bookitis catalog

    Open Author

Editions

Publication-specific versions linked to this work only.