‎CALIDAS (+) HANS WEST (translator).‎
‎Sacontala eller den uheldige Ring, et indiansk Drama oversat af Original-Sprogene Sanskrit og Pracrit i Engelsk og heraf i Dansk, med en Indledning til den danske Oversættelse.‎

‎Copenhagen, Moller og Son, 1793. 8vo. In contemporary half calf with five raised bands. Wear to extremities, boards with loss of the marbled paper. Edges of boards chipped. Internally with light occassional brownspotting, printed on good paper. LXXI, (1), 230, (1) pp.‎

Reference : 61594

‎The rare first Danish translation of Sakuntala (Abhijñanasakuntalam, often translated as The Recognition of Sakuntala) is a classical Sanskrit drama by Kalidasa, one of the greatest poets and playwrights of ancient India. Written around the 4th-5th century CE, it is widely regarded as a masterpiece of Sanskrit literature and one of the most celebrated works of Indian drama. By the 18th century, Western poets were beginning to get acquainted with works of Indian literature and philosophy. Shakuntala was the first Indian drama to be translated into a Western language, by Sir William Jones in 1789. In the next 100 years there were at least 46 translations in twelve European languages. “The romantic drama of Cakuntalii, by Kaliddsa, has been a favorite subject for the work of editors and translators ever since the appearance of Sir William Jones' pioneer version in 1789. The intrinsic beauty of the play as well as its position in India as the chef-d’oeuvre of the Hindu stage and the representative of the largest and most important division (the nataka properly so-called) of Sanskrit dramaturgy, has caused this just appreciation of the lovely story which has opened the eyes of many persons to the beauties of Sanskrit literature” (Montgomery Schuyler, The Editions and Translations of Cakuntala). Schuyler F1.‎