Bright Scythe

From the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature and Sweden’s most acclaimed poet: “Readers new to Tranströmer should bundle up and dive in” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). Known for sharp imagery, startling metaphors and deceptively simple diction, Tomas Tranströmer’s luminous poems offer mysterious glimpses into the deepest facets of humanity, often through the lens of the natural world. These new translations by Patty Crane, presented side by side with the original Swedish, are tautly rendered and elegantly cadenced. They are also deeply informed by Crane’s personal relationship with the poet and his wife during the years she lived in Sweden, where she was afforded greater insight into the nuances of his poetics and the man himself. A New York Times Book ReviewEditors’ Choice A Los Angeles TimesFabulous Holiday Book “Immediate, bodily . . . vivid . . . Full of intent and personality. To my ear, Crane has so far made the best English version of Tran­strömer.” —The New York Times Book Review “Patty [Crane]’s book has such transparency and illumination and candor. . . . For me, this is the finest translation since Bly’s.” —Teju Cole “Sometimes a new piece of shared cultural heritage seems to click into place; the appearance of Bright Scythe—selected poems by Swedish Nobel laureate Tomas Tranströmer, translated by Patty Crane—feels like such an occasion . . . A lasting tribute to the poet’s passing.” —World Literature Today “Quietly revelatory . . . A haunting, mysterious, but ultimately warm and humanistic work, and a welcome introduction both to Tranströmer’s poetry and in the debates over how best to translate it into another tongue.” —Biographile