In this final selection from the 1991 recording, David Gascoyne reads his own translation of the poem 'H' by Oscar Vladislas de Lubicz Milosz (1877-1939). The text is included in the Enitharmon publication of David Gascoyne's Selected Verse Translations (1996), but was first published as an Enitharmon Poetry Pamphlet in 1993.

Recorded by James Nye at the poet's house in Northwood on the Isle of Wight.

H - by Milosz, translated and read by David Gascoyne

First publsihed in Poems 1937-1942 (Editions: Poetry, London, 1943), this poem is also included in Collected Poems 1988 (OUP) and Selected Poems (Enitharmon, 1994).

Recorded by Paul D. Condon and James Nye at the poet's house in Northwood on the Isle of Wight in May, 1988.

Cavatina, written and read by David Gacoyne

Mozart - Sursum Corda, written and read by David Gascoyne

David Gascoyne reads the third of three poems selected from the sequence he called "The Symptomatic World". These come from the short 'Surrealist' period 1933-1936 in which he made fairly strict use of the automatic writing - something he abandoned later due to its limitations. 'The Symptomatic World' was first collected in Early Poems, published in limited edition form by the Greville Press in 1980. They are can also be found in Collected Poems 1988 (OUP) and Selected Poems (Enitharmon, 1994).

Recorded by Paul D. Condon and James Nye at the poet's house in Northwood on the Isle of Wight in May, 1988.

The Symptomatic World VIII, written and read by David Gascoyne

David Gascoyne reads the second of three poems selected from the sequence he called "The Symptomatic World". These come from the short 'Surrealist' period 1933-1936 in which he made fairly strict use of the automatic writing - something he abandoned later due to its limitations. 'The Symptomatic World' was first collected in Early Poems, published in limited edition form by the Greville Press in 1980. They are can also be found in Collected Poems 1988 (OUP) and Selected Poems (Enitharmon, 1994).

Recorded by Paul D. Condon and James Nye at the poet's house in Northwood on the Isle of Wight in May, 1988.

The Symptomatic World VII, written and read by David Gascoyne

David Gascoyne reads the first of three poems selected from the sequence he called "The Symptomatic World". These come from the short 'Surrealist' period 1933-1936 in which he made fairly strict use of the automatic writing - something he abandoned later due to its limitations. 'The Symptomatic World' was first collected in Early Poems, published in limited edition form by the Greville Press in 1980. They are can also be found in Collected Poems 1988 (OUP) and Selected Poems (Enitharmon, 1994).

The Symptomatic World III, written and read by David Gascoyne

Benjamin Péret (1899-1959) was one of the most committed of the original surrealists, and made extensive use of automatic writing in his often hilarious and disconcerting poetry. David Gascoyne made many translations of Péret's poems, and a volume was of these (with others by Humphrey Jennings) was published as A Bunch of Carrots, then as Remove Your Hat in 1936. The collection was reiussed by Atlas Press in 1986, but is now, sadly, out of print. The translation can now be found in David Gascoyne's 'Selected Verse Translations' (Enitharmon, 1996). The image, left, is of Benjamin Péret.

Recorded by Paul D. Condon and James Nye at the poet's house in Northwood on the Isle of Wight in May, 1988.

At the End of the World by Benjamin Péret, translated and read by David Gascoyne

David Gascoyne introduces his translation of Paul Éluard's poem about the pioneer of Cubist art, Georges Braque (1882-1963). Éluard (1895-1952) was one of the finest of the original surrealist poets, and was much admired by Gascoyne. Gascoyne wrote his own tribute to Éluard, which he can be heard reading in the second set of poems in this collection. The picture shows Paul Éluard.

Gascoyne's translation of the poem was first published as part of Éluard's 'Thorns of Thunder' (along with contributions from Picasso, Samuel Beckett, Man Ray and others) in 1936. It later reprinted in Gascoyne's 'Collected Verse Translations' (OUP, 1970) and 'Selected Verse Translations' (Enitharmon, 1996).

Recorded by Paul D. Condon and James Nye at the poet's house in Northwood on the Isle of Wight in May, 1988.

Georges Braque by Paul Éluard, translated and read by David Gascoyne

David Gascoyne introduces the first of three translations of poems by fellow members of the Surrealist movement. The picture shows the author of this one, René Char. The text can be found in David's 'Selected Verse Translations' (Enitharmon, 1996). The translation was first published in the June 1936 edition of Contemporary Poetry and Prose.

Recorded by Paul D. Condon and James Nye at the poet's house in Northwood on the Isle of Wight in May, 1988.

The Raving Messengers of Frantic Poetry by René Char, translated and read by David Gascoyne

Another early poem from the 1930s, 'Signs' was first published as one of Six Poems in the periodical called Delta in April 1938. It is also included in Collected Poems 1988 (OUP), and Selected Poems (Enitharmon, 1994).

Recorded by Paul D. Condon and James Nye at the poet's house in Northwood on the Isle of Wight in May, 1988.

Signs, written and read by David Gascoyne

This early poem was first published in 'The Sunday Referee' on 24th September 1933. It was chosen for publication by the editor of the 'Poet's Corner' column, Victor Neuberg (who was once, it was claimed, turned into a camel by black magician Aleister Crowley). The text can be found in David Gascoyne's Collected Poems 1988 (OUP) and Selected Poems (Enitharmon, 1994).

Recorded by Paul D. Condon and James Nye at the poet's house in Northwood on the Isle of Wight in May, 1988.

On the Terrace, written and read by David Gascoyne

David Gascoyne (1916-2001) 
These recordings of the poet reading his poems and translations were made in 1988 and 1991 at the poet's home in Northwood on the Isle of Wight. The first set of recordings was made by James Nye and Paul Condon, the second by James Nye alone. 

The sound quality is not perfect due to the equipment available at the time, and occasionally you can hear traffic noise as cars pass David's home - but we present them here as a tribute to David Gascoyne, and for their historical interest. 

For more information about David Gascoyne: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Gascoyne

For a detailed account, please consult "Night Thoughts: The Surreal Life of the Poet David Gascoyne " by Robert Fraser (OUP, 2012).

H - by Milosz, translated and read by David Gascoyne

David Gascoyne

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