William Blake Translated: The Creation of Blake's Literary Fame in Spain

Abstract

André Lefevere highlights the central role of translations in the creation of literary fame, that is, in ‘the general reception and survival of works of literature among non-professional readers’. Through translations, the image of an author is shaped and projected in different national, historical and cultural contexts. The analysis of the selection of poems translated, and the introduction, notes and annotations that usually accompany those translations, can provide us with a preliminary overview of the presence of an author in a specific country of reception. This is especially true in the case of the reception of William Blake in Spain. The part played by translations, especially the earliest ones, is remarkable because some not only made Blake's work available to a Spanish readership but also provide readers with long introductions that constituted the first and, for a long time, sole critical approach to the British poet in Spanish. This article traces the progressive creation of Blake's literary canon and fame in Spain through the comprehensive analysis of the existing translations, both in Spanish and Catalan.