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BOOK NOTICES.
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and his friend in seven days, is wonderfully free of a capital modern version of this famous old from unintelligible readings. There may be, per- tale, done into Hindi by a native Deputy Collechaps, one or two passages where the addition of a tor, Kunwar Lachhman Singh. This gentleman visarga, or the change of a letter, would improve writes his mother tongue with elegance and good the sense; but we could mention one or more Sans. taste. Seldom has it been my lot, in all my weary krit texts, carefully edited from a comparison of
plodding through modern vernacular literature, various MSS., which present many more stumbling- to come across anything so fresh and spark. blocks to the reader. We believe that Dr. Bühler's ling. There is just enough sprinkling of learned confidence in the correctness of his text is certain,
tatsamas to gratify the taste of those who must if future MSS. should be discovered, to be amply
have a spice of Sanskrit in everything, but the justified.
work is chiefly remarkable for a peculiarity hiALLGORIES, Récits POETIQUES, ET CHANTS POPULAIRES, therto almost confined to Bengal. The bold De
traduits de l'Arabe, du Persan, de l'Hindoustani et du puty, with a reckless disregard of the opinions of Turc, par M. Garcin de Tassy, Membre de l'Institut, pandits, has dared to write as he and his country. &c. Paris, 1876.
men speak, and the result, to Europeans at least, The above work of a distinguished Orientalist who has lately been elected President of the So- | has mastered this work with Mr. Pincott's notes ciété Asiatique, and also Corresponding Member of will have only himself to blame if he does not find the Society of Berlin, is the latest product of his himself better able to understand the natives around literary activity. The publication is to be welcomed him than he would have been after many years' as a collection of pieces formerly scattered, gra- study of the Prem Sagar or similar unrealities. dually falling out of print and becoming inacces- So true to the actual speech of the people is this sible, but now again made available to the lovers of work, that even the idiomatic phrases, which gram. Oriental literature. These pieces fill a volume of marians strive in vain to reconcile with their 640 pages, and are as follows:
rules, are freely used, and the careful notes fully Translations from the Arabic :-"The Allegories explain, but wisely do not often attempt to acof Mokadesi," published under the titles of "Les count for them. The notes also give evidence of Oiseaux et les Fleurs;"_"The Animals in discus- careful study of the original, and a fine perception of sion with Man," extracted from the Ilchván-ucafá. the shades of meaning of which this most delicate
Translations from the Persian :-Two tales from and flexible of languages is capable. the Anwar-i Suhaili; a Persian version of the I cannot too highly praise this most admirable Fables of Pidpai; the Pendnameh of Sa'di.
work, and hope that it may be widely known and Translations from the Hindustani :-"The Ad- used. There is no text-book of Hindi now in existventures of Kamrup;" "The Rose of Bakawali,"
ence which can be for an instant compared with it. Gul o Sanauber, or "the Rose and the Cypress;" Cuttack, 26th June 1876. JOHN BEAMES. "Hir and Ranjhan," a legend of the Panjab; Sakuntala according to the Hindi version of the
THE INDIAN Song of Songs, from the Sanskrit of the Gita Mahabharata; "The Popular Songs of India."
Govinda of Jayadeva : with other Oriental Poems. By Translations from the Turkish :--"The Taking
Edwin Arnold, M.A., F.R.G.S., formerly Principal of of Abydos;" "The battle of Varna;" "The Taking
the Poona Colloge, &c. London: Trübner & Co., 1875. of Constantinople;" « The Description of Constan
The Gita Govinda of Jayadeva, a native of sinople;" "The Adventures of Prince Jem."
Kindu vilva, in Bengal, who flourished, Lasseu This collection is clothed in beautiful language,
supposes, about the middle of the twelfth century, and may serve as a model for elegant transla
early attracted the attention of Sir W. Jones, who tion from one idiom into another without doing
rendered it into English,* whence it was translat. violence to either, which is a task not very easy to
ed into German by Dr. F. Majer and published at accomplish in translations from any, but particular Weimar in 1802, and in the same year by F. H. von ly difficult in Oriental languages, dealing largely in Dalberg at Erfurt. In 1818, Riemschneider pubfigures of speech strange to Occidental ones. The
lished a metrical German version, and in 1836 great talents, long experience, and world-wide re
Lassen issued his careful edition of the original putation of the distinguished author are sufficient
text with scholia, notes, and a Latin version. guarantees of how he has accomplished his task at
Hippolite Fauche also, in 1850, issued a French various periods of his long career. E. R.
translation of the whole of the Gita along with the SAKUNTALA IN HINDI, edited by F. Pincorr. London:
Ritu Sanhara. Mr. E. Arnold now follows these Allen & Co., 1876.
labourers with a versified rendering into English, Mr. Pincott has been fortunate in getting hold " although," as he allowe, "much has had to be
• Works (ed. 1799), vol. I. pp. 463-484.
