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Stopped in Holland: Samuel Beckett in Dutch Translation

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Translating Samuel Beckett around the World

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Abstract

Translations into Dutch of Beckett’s works have been published from the early 1960s. Through his friendship with Geer and Bram van Velde, Beckett met their sister Jacoba shortly after the Second World War, and from the mid-1950s she became the most important translator of his works into Dutch. Jacoba sometimes collaborated with her life partner Frits Kuipers, who also single-handedly translated some of Beckett's major prose works. From the 1980s Martine Vosmaer and Karina van Santen took over from Van Velde and Kuipers as Beckett's main translators, but since the mid-1970s many of his works have also been translated by others. This chapter discusses the history of the translation of Beckett into the Dutch language, from its very beginnings to its latest title. In a brief aside, the author discusses his own translation into Dutch of Watt.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of English Language and Culture, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Onno Kosters

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  1. Onno Kosters
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Correspondence to Onno Kosters .

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  1. Almería, Spain

    José Francisco Fernández

  2. Talence, France

    Pascale Sardin

Appendix: Samuel Beckett in Dutch Translation, 1961–2021

Appendix: Samuel Beckett in Dutch Translation, 1961–2021

(1961), ‘Krapp’s laatste band’ [Krapp’s Last Tape], trans. Jacoba van Velde. Randstad, literary journal, no. 1.

(1962), Gelukkige dagen [Happy Days], trans. Jacoba van Velde. Amsterdam: De Bezige Bij.

(1963), Molloy [Molloy], trans. Jacoba van Velde and F.C. Kuijpers. Amsterdam: De Bezige Bij.

(1963), Allen die vallen [All That Fall], trans./rendering Hugo Claus [unpublished]. Typescript kept in the VRT Archive, Brussels.

(1965), Malone sterft [Malone meurt], trans. F.C. Kuipers. Amsterdam: De Bezige Bij.

(1965), Wachten op Godot, Eindspel, Krapp’s laatste band, Gelukkige dagen, Spel [En attendant Godot, Fin de partie, Krapp’s Last Tape, Happy Days, Play], trans. Jacoba van Velde. Amsterdam: De Bezige Bij.

(1967), Hé, Joe, Sintels, Woorden en muziek, Cascando, Komen en gaan, Allen die vallen, Spel zonder woorden 1, Spel zonder woorden 2 [Eh Joe, Embers, Words and Music, Cascando, Come and Go, All That Fall, Acte sans paroles 1, Acte sans paroles 2], trans. Jacoba van Velde. Amsterdam: De Bezige Bij.

(1967), Murphy [Murphy], trans. F.C. Kuipers. Amsterdam: De Bezige Bij.

(1968), Hoe het is [Comment c’est], trans. F.C. Kuipers. Amsterdam: De Bezige Bij.

(1970), Molloy, Malone sterft, Naamloos [Molloy, Malone meurt, L’Innommable], trans. Jacoba van Velde and F.C. Kuipers. Amsterdam: De Bezige Bij.

(1976), Verhalen en teksten zomaar [Stories and Texts for Nothing], trans. Th. A. Sontrop, Jeanne Holierhoek, and Henny Scheepmaker. Amsterdam: Meulenhoff.

(1977), Proust: Een essay [Proust], trans. Henny Scheepmaker. Amsterdam: Meulenhoff.

(1979), Niet ik, Toen, Stappen [Not I, That Time, Footfalls], trans. Jacoba van Velde. Amsterdam: De Bezige Bij.

(1980), (?) Toen [That Time], trans. unknown. Antwerp: Uitgeverij Janssens.

(1983), Arènes de Lutèce [‘Arènes de Lutèce’], trans. Hans Tentije. Banholt: In de Bonnefant.

(1983), ‘Eerste liefde’ [‘Premier amour’], trans. Tom Klerks; ‘Vier gedichten’ [‘Quatre poèmes’], trans. Hans Tentije; translated [excerpts from] ‘La mouche’; ‘vive mort ma seule saison’; ‘musique de l’indifférence’ in an essay on Beckett’s poetry also by Tentije. Raster, Dutch literary journal, no. 25.

(1984), ‘Catastrofe’ [‘Catastrophe’], trans. Ger Thijs. Wolfsmond, Dutch literary journal, no. 11.

(1985), Gezelschap [Company], trans. Martine Vosmaer en Karina van Santen. Amsterdam: De Bezige Bij.

(1986), Slecht gezien, slecht gezegd [Mal vu mal dit], trans. Karina van Santen and Martine Vosmaer. Amsterdam: De Bezige Bij.

(1986), ‘Zeven gedichten’ [‘elles viennent’; ‘à elle l’acte calme’; ‘bon bon il est un pays’; ‘Arènes de Lutèce’; ‘Mort d’A.D.’; ‘bois seul’; ‘Ascension’], trans. Hans Tentije; ‘Over Geer en Bram van Velde’ [‘Geer van Velde’; ‘La Peinture des Van Velde ou Le monde et le pantalon’; ‘Peintres de l’empêchement’; ‘Three Dialogues’; ‘Bram van Velde’], trans. Karina van Santen en Martine Vosmaer; ‘Sissers’ [‘Fizzles’/‘Foirades’]; ‘Elkaar zien’; ‘Stil’ [‘Se Voir’; ‘Still’], trans. Rob van Rossum and Jacq Vogelaar; ‘Om maar weer te eindigen’ [‘Pour Finire encore’], trans. Karina van Santen and Martine Vosmaer; ‘Een stuk monoloog’ [‘A Piece of Monologue’], trans. Ruud Hisgen and Paul Regeer; ‘Schommelzang’ [‘Rockaby’], trans. Hans Tentije. Raster, Dutch literary journal, no. 38.

(1989), De schilderkunst van de Van Velde’s of de wereld en de broek [La peinture des Van Velde sou Le monde et le pantalon], trans. Karina van Santen and Martine Vosmaer. The Hague: SDU.

(1990), ‘Hoe zeg je’ [‘Comment dire’], trans. Matthijs Engelberts; ‘Hoe zeg je dat?’ [‘What is the Word’], trans. Ruud Hisgen and Adriaan van der Weel. Het Beckett Blad, journal of the Dutch Samuel Beckett Foundation, vol. 1. Reprinted in Bzzlletin, Dutch literary journal, vol. 193: Samuel Beckett (1992). Translation from the French republished with corrections in Het Beckett Blad, journal of the Dutch Samuel Beckett Foundation, vol. 25 (2004).

(1990), Krapps laatste band [Krapp’s Last Tape], trans. Marie-Dominique Wiche, in programme booklet of Theatergroep Raam production of Krapp’s Last Tape, dir. Julien Schoenaerts, along with ‘Hoe te zeggen’ [‘Comment dire,’], trans. Marie-Dominique Wiche.

(1990), Stille sidders [Stirrings Still], trans. Marie-Dominique Wiche. Antwerp/Haarlem: Nioba.

(1990), ‘Wiegelied’ [‘Rockaby’], trans. Ruud Hisgen and Adriaan van der Weel [unpublished].

(1991), ‘beide niet’ [‘Neither’], trans. Aaldert van de Boogaard. Amsterdam: Muziektheater.

(1991), Atelier Beckett. Includes ‘Eerste liefde’ [‘Premier amour’; fragment]; ‘Teksten zomaar 13’ [‘Texts for Nothing 13’]; ‘De schilderkunst van de Van Velde’s of de wereld en de broek’ [‘La peinture des Van Veldes ou Le Monde et le pantalon’ (fragment)]; ‘Verbeelding dood verbeeld’ [‘Imagination Dead Imagine’]; ‘Voor Avigdor Arikha’ [‘For Avigdor Arikha’]; ‘De rotswand’ [‘La falaise’]; ‘Uit een opgegeven werk’ [‘From an Abandoned Work’], trans. Jacq Vogelaar. Amsterdam: Perdu/Buissant. ‘Voor Avigdor Arikha’ [‘For Avigdor Arikha’] and ‘De rotswand’ [‘La falaise’] reprinted in Bzzlletin, Dutch literary journal, no. 193: Samuel Beckett (1992).

(1991), ‘geen van beide’ [‘Neither’], trans. Ruud Hisgen and Adriaan van der Weel. Het Beckett Blad, journal of the Dutch Samuel Beckett Foundation, vol. 2.

(1992), ‘Adem’ [‘Souffle’], trans. J. Bernlef; ‘Duitse brief uit 1937’ [German letter to Axel Kaun], trans. Vertalerscollectief; ‘Voor Avigdor Arikha’ [‘For Avigdor Arikha’] and ‘De rotswand’ [‘La falaise’], trans. J. Vogelaar; ‘Alba’ [‘Alba’]; ‘Slop’ [‘Accul’]; ‘Tot in het hol hemel en grond’ [‘jusque dans la caverne’], trans. Laurens Vancrevel. Bzzlletin, Dutch literary journal, vol. 193: Samuel Beckett (1992).

(1992), Echo’s gebeente: Gedichten [Echo’s Bones and Other Precipitates and other poems], trans. Laurens Vancrevel. Amsterdam: Meulenhoff. ‘Alba’ [‘Alba’]; ‘Slop’ [‘Accul’]; ‘Tot in het hol hemel en grond’ [‘jusque dans la caverne’] also published in Bzzlletin, Dutch literary journal, vol. 193: Samuel Beckett (1992).

(1992), Geboorte werd hem zijn dood: Samuel Beckett (1906–1989). Includes ‘Adem’ [‘Breath’]; ‘geen van beide’ [‘Neither’]; ‘korte droom’ [‘Brief Dream’]; ‘My writing is at an end’ [untranslated], and excerpts from Watt, Mercier and Camier, Molloy, Malone Dies, Waiting for Godot, The Unnamable, Endgame, All That Fall, Texts for Nothing, Company, Ill Seen Ill Said, trans. Ruud Hisgen and Adriaan van der Weel. The Hague: Van Stockum Belinfante & Coebergh.

(1992), Het beeld [L’Image], trans. Karina van Santen and Martine Vosmaer. Amsterdam: De Bezige Bij.

(1992), Hoe te zeggen [Comment dire], trans. Marie-Dominique Wiche. Antwerp: Nioba.

(1992), Verroeren [Stirrings Still], trans. Hugo Claus. Amsterdam: De Bezige Bij.

(1994), ‘zo kun je wel’ /‘je kunt natuurlijk altijd’ [‘ainsi a-t-on beau’], trans. Karlijn Stoffels /Fred Dijs. Het Beckett Blad, journal of the Dutch Samuel Beckett Foundation, vol. 6.

(1994), ‘da tagte es’ [‘da tagte es’], trans. Ruud Hisgen and Adriaan van der Weel. ‘Till Birth Do Us Part: About Endings Ending in Tentative Beginnings’. Knowing the Words: Liber Amicorum for Robert Druce, ed. Jane Mallinson, Adriaan van der Weel and Tjebbe Westendorp. Leiden: Academic Press Leiden, 1994. Repr. in Het Beckett Blad, journal of the Dutch Samuel Beckett Foundation, vol. 8 (1995).

(1995), Bij Samuel Beckett: Perspectieven. ‘Zelf’ [‘Self’], trans. het Gronings vertalerscollectief and Ronald Kuil. Groningen: Historische Uitgevrij Groningen.

(1995), ‘De verlorenen’ [‘The Lost Ones’], trans. Piet Gerbrandy. Raster, Dutch literary journal, no. 70. Repr. in Omroepers van oproer: Breekijzers in taal. Amsterdam: Contact, 2006.

(1995), ‘Eerste liefde’[‘Premier amour’], trans. Ger Thijs [unpublished].

(1997), Toch noch [Stirrings Still], trans. Ard van der Horst. Beckett Archive [unpublished].

(1998), ‘Ja’ [‘Oui’/‘Yes’; excerpt from Textes pour rien], trans. Ruud Hisgen and Adriaan van der Weel. Privately published pamphlet.

(1999), Disjecta and ‘Proust’ [Disjecta and ‘Proust’], trans. het Gronings vertalerscollectief and Ronald Kuil. Groningen: Historische Uitgevrij Groningen.

(1999), ‘Enueg I’ [‘Enueg I’], trans. Mon Nys. De brakke hond, Flemish literary journal, no. 65.

(2000), ‘Dante en de kreeft’ [‘Dante and the Lobster’], trans. Wiebe Hogendoorn. De tweede ronde, Dutch literary journal, vol. 21.

(2000), ‘De Gier’ [‘The Vulture’], trans. Piet Gerbrandy. Het Beckett Blad, journal of the Dutch Samuel Beckett Foundation, vol. 18/19. Repr., with ‘Echo’s gebeente’ [‘Echo’s Bones’] in ‘Gieren, maden en adders: Samuel Beckett vertalen’. Een steeneik op de rotsen: Over poëzie en retorica. Amsterdam: Meulenhoff 2003, 172–181.

(2000), Droom van matig tot mooie vrouwen [Dream of Fair to Middling Women], trans. Anneke Brassinga. Amsterdam: De Bezige Bij.

(2000), ‘Ergens iets’; ‘De Gier’ [‘something there,’ ‘The Vulture’], trans. Mon Nys. De onsterfelijken: Poëzie van Nobelprijswinnaars van de XXste eeuw, ed. Paul Claes. Leuven: Uitgeverij P.

(2000), ‘evenmin’ [‘Neither’], trans. Stefan Hertmans. De Standaard, Flemish newspaper, 13 April.

(2000), Mooie dagen [Happy Days], trans. Geert Lernout [unpublished].

(2000), Slechtstwaarts voort. Includes ‘Slechtstwaarts voort’ [Worstward Ho]; ‘Plafond’ [‘Ceiling’]; ‘De weg’ [‘Crisscross to Infinity’/‘The Way’], trans. Ruud Hisgen and Adriaan van der Weel. The Hague: Direct Dutch Publications.

(2000), Ten slechtste gekeerd [Worstward Ho], trans. Karina van Santen and Martine Vosmaer. Amsterdam: De Bezige Bij. Published with James Knowlson, Tot roem gedoemd: Het leven van Samuel Beckett [Damned to Fame: The Life of Samuel Beckett], trans. Karina van Santen and Martine Vosmaer. Amsterdam: De Bezige Bij.

(2000), ‘Theaterfragment I’ [‘Rough for Theatre I’], trans. Tjeerd de Boer [1984]. Het Beckett Blad, journal of the Dutch Samuel Beckett Foundation, vol. 18/19.

(2000), Wachtend op Godot [En attendant Godot], trans. Sam Bogaerts [unpublished].

(2001), ‘Hommage aan Jack B. Yeats’ [‘Homage to Jack B. Yeats’], trans. Onno Kosters, in ibid., ‘Het gefixeerde moment: Jack Yeats en Samuel Beckett’. Bzzlletin, Dutch literary journal, no. 276. Repr. in ‘Licht in de duisternis’, Not I (bedtime), exhibition catalogue. Amsterdam: Arti et Amicitiae, 2001.

(2001), ‘Theaterfragment 2’ [‘Rough for Theatre II’], trans. Tjeerd de Boer. Het Beckett Blad, journal of the Dutch Samuel Beckett Foundation, vol. 21

(2002), ‘Hoeroscoop’ [‘Whoroscope’], trans Paul Claes. De Gids, Dutch literary Journal, vol. 165.

(2003), ‘Loosheid’ [‘Lessness’], trans. Dirk Van Hulle. Het Beckett Blad, journal of the Dutch Samuel Beckett Foundation, vol. 24.

(2005), ‘Een stukje monoloog’ [‘A Piece of Monologue’], trans. Maarten Zeehandelaar. Het Beckett Blad, journal of the Dutch Samuel Beckett Foundation, vol. 27.

(2005), ‘Wat waar’ [What Where], trans. Jack van der Weide. Het Beckett Blad, journal of the Dutch Samuel Beckett Foundation, vol. 27.

(2006), ‘Brief aan Roger Blin’ [‘Lettre à Roger Blin,’ 9/1/1953], trans. Walter van der Star. Het Beckett Blad, journal of the Dutch Samuel Beckett Foundation, vol. 29.

(2006), Eerste liefde [Premier amour], includes ‘Het einde’ [‘Le fin’]; ‘Verstoten’ [‘L’Explusé’]; ‘Het kalmeringsmiddel’ [‘Le calmant’]; ‘Eerste liefde’ [‘Premier amour’], trans. Karina van Santen and Martine Vosmaer. Amsterdam: Atlas.

(2006), Wachten op Godot [en drie romans]. Includes En attendant Godot; Molloy; Malone meurt; L’Innommable, trans. Jacoba van Velde and F.C. Kuipers. Amsterdam: De Bezige Bij.

(2006), Watt [Watt], trans. Onno Kosters. Utrecht: IJzer. Advance publications in Het Beckett Blad, journal of the Dutch Samuel Beckett Foundation, various vols.; De brakke hond, Flemish literary journal; Parmentier, Dutch literary journal.

(2007), ‘Plafond’ [‘Ceiling’], trans. Dirk Van Hulle. Yang, Flemish literary journal, vol. 43.

(2012), ‘Vier gedichten’ [‘Quatre Poèmes], trans. Onno Kosters. Blue-Turns-Grey, online literary journal, vol. 4, issue 1.

(2014), ‘Hoe heet het’ [‘What is the Word’], trans. Piet Joostens. DW B, Flemish literary journal, April 2014.

(2017), Kort proza. Includes ‘Bing,’ ‘Zonder’; ‘Genoeg’; ‘Roerloos’; ‘Op een avond’; ‘Noch het een noch het ander’; ‘De klif’ [‘Bing’; ‘Sans’; ‘Assez’; ‘Immobile’; ‘Un soir’; ‘Neither’; ‘La falaise’], trans. Anneke Brassinga. Bleiswijk: Uitgeverij Vleugels.

(2021), Mercier en Camier [Mercier et Camier], trans. Jona Hoek. Amsterdam: Koppernik.

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Kosters, O. (2021). Stopped in Holland: Samuel Beckett in Dutch Translation. In: Fernández, J.F., Sardin, P. (eds) Translating Samuel Beckett around the World. New Interpretations of Beckett in the Twenty-First Century. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-71730-8_3

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