Errors
in The Collected Poems of A. M. Klein
by Zailig Pollock
By bringing out
her edition of The Collected Poems of A. M. Klein (1974) so soon
after the poet's death in 1972, Miriam Waddington performed an invaluable service for
students of Klein. However, perhaps as a result of its hasty execution, the edition is
marred by numerous errors. These errors fall into four categories:
A)
|
Omissions.
Waddington claims to have printed all the published poems. Several are missing. |
| B) |
Dates.
There are some misprints in the dates assigned to poems in the Title Index.1 |
C)
|
Versions. Waddington
claims to have used as her copy-texts the first published versions of poems not
included in the three collections (Hath Not a Jew. . ., Poems, The
Rocking Chair). Later versions have often been used instead, without
acknowledgement. |
D)
|
Errors. Errors in
Waddington's copy-texts have often not been corrected and new ones have been introduced. |
The following list of errata is straightforward in the case of the first three categories.
The fourth and most important category, textual errors, requires some further explanation.
I have indicated without comment the cases when Waddington has introduced errors not found
in the version of the poem which she has chosen as her copy-text. Most of these cases are
obvious misprints. Sometimes, however, Waddington has emended her copy-text incorrectly.
Although she does make a number of necessary emendations of misprints, many of the
emendations, in particular modernizing of archaisms (sometimes to the detriment of the
metre) and changes in punctuation, cannot be justified and find no support in other
versions of the poems, published or unpublished, which Waddington appears rarely if ever
to have consulted.
I have also indicated without comment the cases when, because the end of a sentence
coincides with the bottom of the page in Waddington's copy-text, she either misses a
necessary break or introduces an unnecessary one. Again, the correct reading is easily
determined by consulting other versions.
When Waddington has reproduced an error in her copy-text, I have marked my correction with
an asterisk. I have decided that a reading is an error when all three of the following
hold true: 1) The reading is found only in the copy-text. 2) All other
versions of the poem agree on the same alternate reading. 3) The reading in the
copy-text presents difficulties (semantic, syntactical, metric, etc.) which the alternate
reading does not.
When my reasons for rejecting a reading are more complicated, I have indicated them in a
note.
When Waddington has not used the first published versions of a poem as her copy-text, as
she claims, I have checked her text against the version which she has used. I have
not tried to reproduce the readings of the first published version, as this would greatly
increase the length of the list.
Waddington's texts frequently differ from their originals in the use of italics and
ellipsis points, but they do not do so in a consistent fashion. I have not listed any of
the very numerous instances because Klein himself is inconsistent and the sense is never
affected (although it could be argued that the tone sometimes is).
I would like to thank Usher Caplan and Michael Treadwell for many helpful suggestions on
general format and specific items.
Abbreviations:
CF - The Canadian Forum
CJC - The Canadian Jewish Chronicle
MS - manuscript in the Klein papers in the Public Archives of Canada
ND - New Directions
SS - The Second Scroll (1951)
ERRATA
A)
|
Omissions
In Memoriam: Arthur Ellis — Circle ViI/VIII (1946), 59-60
In Memoriam: Lillian Freiman — CJC, 8 Nov. 1940, p. 3
October Heresy —Alarm Clock II, 1 (Nov. 1933), 3
A Prayer of the Afflicted When He Is Overwhelmed — Opinion XI, 12 (Oct. 1941),
28
"Sincere, laborious for the common weal" — CJC, 7 March,
1941, p. 3 |
B)
|
Dates
Desiderata — 1932
Falstaff— 1930
Meditation Upon Survival — 1950
Song of Sweet Dishes — 1934 |
C)
|
Versions.
[The published version used as the copy-text is followed by the first published version.]
And in that Drowning Instant —SS, pp. 195-97; Opinion XIII, 12
(Oct. 1943), 17
Autobiographical — SS, pp. 123-26; CF XXIII, (Aug. 1943), 106
Ballad of the Nursery Rhymes — CJC, 24 Oct. 1952, p. 4; CF XXI
(Nov. 1941), 244
Concerning Four Strange Sons — CJC, 31 March 1939, p. 3; Canadian
Zionist IV, 10 (March 1937), 103
Elegy —SS, pp. 127-34; New Palestine, 4 April 1947, pp.
106-07
Five Characters — Judaean IX, 6 (March 1936), 45; Menorah Journal XIII,
5 (Nov. 1927), 497-98
The Library — CJC, 21 Nov. 1952, p. 4; Preview 22 (Dec. 1944),
10
Messiah — Opinion III, 6 (April 1933), 23; Judaean V, 8 (May 1932), 7
Ni la Mort nile Soleil — CJC, 24 Oct. 1952, p. 4; Contemporary
Poetry V, 1 (Spring 1945), 3
Of Remembrance — SS, pp. 191-93; CJC, 24 Oct. 1947, p. 6
Penultimate Chapter — CJC, 17 April 1953, p. 4; CF XXIII (May
1943), 36
Psalm 154: To the Chief Musician Upon Shoshannim. A Song of Loves — ND 8
(1944), 197; Poetry LVIII (April 1941), 6-7.
Sennet from Gheel —ND 8 (1944), 195; Poetry LIX (March 1942), 316-17
Soirée of Velvel Kleinburger —New Provinces, pp. 35-38; CF XII
(Aug. 1932), 424-25
Song of Sweet Dishes —Judaean VIII, 9 (June 1935), 70; Judaean VIII, 1
(Oct. 1934), 4
Variation of a Theme —ND 8 (1944), 193-94; Preview 5 (July 1942), 1-2 |
D)
|
Textual errors
Note: The error precedes the ]; the correction follows it.
Line numbers refer to the line in the poem, not the line on the page.
* indicates error reproduced from copy-text. |
3
|
THE MONKEY
stanza 4 (4) degradate] degraduate2 |
9
* |
AHASUERUS
(10) wine] mine |
9
* |
ESTHER
(10) does not lust] does lust |
10
|
HAMAN
(8) cap-a-pie] cap-à-pie |
| 13 |
CANDLE LIGHTS] THESE
CANDLE LIGHTS |
13
|
AUTUMN
(2) enter] inter |
15
|
BALLAD OF SIGNS AND
WONDERS
stanza 6 (2) One] She3
furies ] fairies3 |
20
|
KOHELETH
stanza 3 (1) Negro] negro |
| 21 |
stanza 8 (1) Negro]
negro |
23
|
HAUNTED HOUSE
(30) Piles] Plies |
| * 24 |
(75) think] thinking |
28
* |
DIALOGUE
(18) clear] clean |
32
|
FALSTAFF
(13) who] who, |
36
|
YOSSEL LETZ
stanza 8 (3) wine] wine,
stanza 9 (2) cushions] cushions, |
42
|
FOUR SONNETS: MY
LITERATI FRIENDS IN RESTAURANTS]
MY LITERATI FRIENDS IN RESTAURANTS
(10) gli altre] l'altre4 |
43
|
FOUR SONNETS: WERE I
TO TALK UNTIL THE CRACK
O'DOOM] WERE I TO TALK UNTIL THE CRACK O'DOOM |
50
|
SCATTERBRAIN SINGETH
A SONG
(3) with creed] with the creed |
53
|
JOHANNUS, DEI
MONACHUS, LOQUITUR
(28) through] thorough |
56
|
RABBI YOM-TOB
HARANGUES HIS GOD should precede THE CHRONICLER CONTINUES5 |
58
|
LEGEND OF LEBANON
stanza 3 (8) ago] agone |
| 64 |
stanza 29 (3) palate
flatterer] palate-flatterer |
67
|
JONAH
(32) Up on] Upon |
68
|
ARITHMETIC
stanza 3 (2) stars, ] stars
(4) sun.] sun, |
71
|
MANUSCRIPT:
THIRTEENTH CENTURY
* stanza 14 (8) when]whom |
| 72 |
stanza 15(5) ye]
they |
| * 73 |
stanza 21 (1) not
holy hour]no holy hour |
75
|
SONG OF SWEET DISHES
(9) gobble] gobble, |
75
|
GETZEL GELT6
stanza 1 (1) be,] be.
(4) flowers:] flowers; |
76
|
stanza 2 (1) barn,]
barn
(3) whiff,] whiff
stanza 7 (1) God's,] God's
(2) blows,] blows
stanza 8 (3) barn,] barn
(4) joyously;]
joyously.
stanza 9 (2) paradise,] paradise |
77
*
*
*
*
* |
stanza 10 (2) bees,]
bees.
CALENDAR
(11) cell;] cell,
(13) rushed] rushes
(15) harvest-rain] harvest-wain
(16) Heshvan,] Heshvan.
(20) winter] wintry
(22) Ader] Adar |
83
* |
DIARY OF ABRAHAM
SEGAL, POET
8:15 (4) Appeal] Appeal, 84 9:05 no space after (12)
("Executives") |
86
|
12:20
space after (8) ("Snappy..
12:20-12:45 (20) oaths] oaths,
cry:] cry, — |
91
* |
SOIRÉE OF VELVEL
KLEINBURGER
section beginning (72) ("Alas, that Velvel's sigh. . .") and ending (84)
("Shuffle the cards. . .") should follow (16) ("The Ace!")7
(84) Reb.] Reb |
95
|
CORRIGENDUM
(2) they] there8 |
106
* |
OF POESY
(19) threnoided] threnodied |
109
*
|
OF THE LILY WHICH
TOILS NOT
(30) a l'outrance] à l'outrance
space after (56) ("As wife . . .") |
115
|
CHILDE HAROLD'S
PILGRIMAGE
space after (67) ("Wrote for his strumpet!") |
| *116 |
(88) you] you, |
| 118 |
space after (162)
("My brain. . .") |
124
|
GREETING ON THIS DAY
i (4) mounting] mouthing 127 ix no space after (4) ("And who declares. . .") |
138
|
REB ZADOC HAS
MEMORIES
stanza 10 (3) pleasure.] pleasure, |
142
|
ESTHER HEARS ECHOES
OF HIS VOICE
stanza 5 separated from stanza 6 by * * * *
stanza 7 separated from stanza 8 by * * * * |
145
|
THE STILL SMALL
VOICE
no space after (5) |
146
|
REB LEVI YITSCHOK
TALKS TO GOD
space after (18) ("Thy favorite . . .") |
| 147 |
(35) bag o'bones]
bag'o'bones |
164
|
BALLAD OF THE
DANCING BEAR
vi (10) groshens] groschens |
183
|
OF NOTHING AT ALL:
ORDERS] OF NOTHING AT ALL is a
section heading and should be separate from ORDERS, a poem title. |
197
|
THE HITLERIAD
xiii (41) learned] learnèd |
215
|
A PSALM, TO BE
PRESERVED AGAINST TWO WICKED WORDS
(11) thou] Thou |
221
|
PSALM XX: A PSALM OF
ABRAHAM, WHICH HE MADE AT THE FEAST
(4) And] Add |
223
|
PSALM XXII: A PRAYER
OF ABRAHAM, AGAINST MADNESS
stanza 2 (3) maladies] maladies —
stanza 7 (3) thy] Thy9 |
230
|
PSALM XXXI: TO THE
CHIEF MUSICIAN, A PSALM OF THE
BRATZLAVER, TOUCHING A GOOD GARDENER
space after iv (9) ("Embattled Bribery. . .") |
235
|
IN RE SOLOMON
WARSHAWER
space after (30) ("and have. . .")
(39) bold] both |
237
|
(87) sounded]
founded10
space after (93) ("I walk . .") |
245
* |
YEHUDA HALEVI, HIS
PILGRIMAGE
stanza 7 (9) puissance.] puissance? |
248
|
stanza 18 (7)
entertained] entertainéd
stanza 20 (1) Or] O |
| 249 |
stanza 23 (4)
Aristotle] Aristotele |
253
* |
stanza 37 (6) upon]
unto
stanza 38 (10) Thou] thou 254 stanza 40 (4) Zien] Zion |
265
|
VARIATION OF A THEME
stanza 2 (8) Doestanasher] Doestenasher |
267
|
AND IN THAT DROWNING
INSTANT
space after (4) ("my preterite eternity") |
269
|
PENULTIMATE CHAPTER
space after (7) ("Stilled not . . .") |
270
|
ACTUARIAL REPORT
space after (8) ("Doomed to. . .")
space after (17) ("Is also calculated.")
space after (22) ("A state of hostilities.") |
271
|
(25) battlefields]
battlefield
space after (29) ("General absence . . .")
space after (30) ("Have become . . .") |
273
|
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL
stanza 8 (2) memories] memoirs |
281
* |
THE LIBRARY
stanza 3 (8) reared] roared |
284
* |
THE GOLEM
(4) muck] muck. |
286
|
DOCTOR DRUMMOND
line deleted following (12) ("consider his . . .")
And you will see them as he saw them as white natives, |
288
* |
MEDITATION UPON
SURVIVAL
(15) die.] die, |
289
*
* |
A PSALM OF HORSES
AND THEIR RIDERS
(2) groom] groomed
(3) back,] back |
290
|
ELEGY
(24) ("And the dark Miriam murdered for her hair;") should be repeated11 |
301
|
GRAIN ELEVATOR
stanza 2 (8) beachhead] beached |
302
|
UNIVERSITÉ DE
MONTRÉAL
(9) gowned] gownèd |
| 304 |
INDIAN RESERVATION:
CAUGHNAWAGA (6) kin — ] kin? — 12 |
308
|
THE SPINNING WHEEL
stanza 2 (6) do] to |
| 311 |
DRESS MANUFACTURER:
FISHERMAN space after (24) ("grow a moss")13 |
314
|
COMMERCIAL BANK
(4) horde] hoard 316 MONTREAL
stanza 1 (6) pendant] pendent
stanza 2 (2) plumed] plumèd |
322
|
LONE BATHER
space after (26) ("lazily the eight. . .") |
324
* |
M. BERTRAND
(11) conferencier] conférencier |
327
|
SIRE ALEXANDRE
GRANDMAISON
(10) Societé] Société14 |
332
|
PORTRAIT OF THE POET
AS LANDSCAPE
ii stanza 4 (5) loneliness] lonelinesses
stanza 5 (4) unsuspecting] unsuspected
(5) awakening] awaking |
335
|
vi stanza 1 (6)
collusion] collision
stanza 2 (4) heart — ] heart. —
stanza 3 (6) this,] this |
338
|
CANTABILE
(23) cultural] culture
space after (27) ("not as his own. . .")15 |
339
* |
PARADE OF ST. JEAN
BAPTISTE16
stanza 1 (7) moves] moves: |
* 340
*
*
*
*
* |
stanza 2 (3) hero]
here:
(6) rose,]
rose
(6) vert,]
vert
(6) blond,]
blond
stanza 3 (11) parents;] parents,
stanza 4 (1) Herbert] Hebert |
* 341
*
* |
stanza 5 (5)
tradition — orgulous] tradition-orgulous
(11) tom'd]
tomb'd.
stanza 7 (11) market] marked |
* 342
*
*
* |
stanza 8 (3) blank]
bank
(9) le peup'] le peup',
(12) leige] liege
stanza 10 (8) picnic — loud] picnic-loud |
342
|
OF THE MAKING OF
GRAGERS
(5) flippics] filippics |
344
|
OF REMEMBRANCE
no space after (2) |
Notes
Another serious flaw in dating is that for
poems in the published volumes the date given is that of the volume rather than of the
poem's first publication. This information is redundant, since the dates of the published
volumes are given elsewhere in the Collected, and it is useless to readers
interested in the chronology of Klein's poetry. I have not listed these instances, since
they result from an editorial decision (however questionable) rather than from errors in
execution.[back]
Waddington's emendation
of"degraduate" to "degradate" gives a more regular rhythm, but the
word "degradate" does not exist while the word "degraduate," though
rare, does. Klein may have intended a pun on "graduate," since the poem appeared
in a university paper, The McGill Daily.[back]
Partly illegible in copy-text (CJC, 13
April 1928, p. 9). Correct readings clear in all other versions.[back]
lialtre in the copy-text (Opinion II,
8 [25 July 1932], 16). Correct reading in XXII Sonnets and Poems (1932). Gli
is ungrammatical.[back]
Revised version reprinted in Hath Not a Jew.
. .as RABBI YOM-TOB OF MAYENCE PETITIONS HIS GOD (Collected Poems, pp.
239-41).[back]
Waddington emends the punctuation of this poem
very freely. Two lines in her copy-text (Judaean VIII, 9 [June 1935], 70) require
emendation: there is an extra period in line 16 and a period is missing in line 32. None
of the other emendations are necessary. The punctuation is identical in Poems (1934).[back]
A careful reading indicates that the version
in ND (see section C of errata list) is garbled. All other versions agree on the
correct order.[back]
Corrected on tear sheet MS 24644.[back]
Second person singular capitalized throughout.
Corrected in Klein's copy of Poems MS 2745 (p. 28).[back]
"Sounded" in Menorah Journal XXVIII,
2 (Summer 1940), 140, but "founded" in Smith, The Book of Canadian Poetry,
p. 393, and altered from "sounded" to "founded" in Klein's copy of
Poems MS 2745 (p. 52).[back]
Waddington's copy-text (SS, pp. 127-34 —
not the first printed version) has the repetition. It is not a typographical error:
although it does not occur in earlier printed versions, Klein adds it in his revisions to
a tear sheet from New Palestine, 4 April 1947, p. 106, MS 2283.[back]
The Rocking Chair has kin' — .
Correct reading in MS 2306.[back]
Line 24 comes at the bottom of the page in the
only other version of the poem (Contemporary Verse 22 [Fall 1947], 3) but the sense
requires a break.[back]
The version in The Rocking Chair and other
Poems is lacking the two acute accents in "Sociéte". Waddington replaces
only the second.[back]
Line 27 comes at the bottom of the page in the
only other version of the poem (Northern Review II, 3 [Sep-Oct. 1948], 30) but the
sense requires a break.[back]
Most of the numerous typographical errors in CF
XXVII (Feb. 1948), 258-69 are corrected on tear sheets MS2509-10. In a few cases,
noted below, Klein's corrections of errors in punctuation do not restore the reading in
the original MS, MS2504-08, but result in a new variant. In such cases I have followed the
MS as a better guide to Klein's intentions in the first published version of the poem.
stanza 1
|
(7)
moves, festive and puissant,
(8) (advances chief, law crouped and curvetting — ) |
| stanza 2 |
(5) blue,[back] |
|