The AUTHORIZED / ENDORSED TRANSLATION
compares with this painting one might say as these pictures of the great baroque 18th century Saint Charles’s Church by the great Austrian architect Fischer von Erlach in Vienna compares with it. One feels intrigued and taken on, but this is due to the frills of elegance and complicated details and not to the intrinsic design or substance of the structure.
In order to even enhance the frills liberties are taken with the translation: The authorized / endorsed translation mixes the genetive and dative at liberty, but “The Book ON the Royal Art” is definitely different from “The Book OF the Royal Art” to give but one example.
Interpretation instead of following BÔ YIN RÂ who was certainly able to choose the wording of his teaching, we find for instance in “The Book on HUMAN NATURE” instead of “The Book on Man” (in German: Das Buch vom Menschen”).
To be noticed are also insertions like “To all who strive toward TIMELESS light”.
Remarkable are, as example, the following additions as well as omissions:
Original German
*(1) “Alle Sonnen brennen im selben Licht!
*(2) Wer zur Sonne verbrannte, ist mit allen Sonnen vereinigt.–
*(3) Du weißt nicht, welcher Sonnen Licht in meinem Lichte dir leuchtet!
*(4) Ziehe nicht Grenzen der Willkür!
*(5) Im Lichte verschwinden alle willkürlichen Grenzen.–
*(6) Suche das Licht in den Sonnen und die Sonnen in ihrem Licht!
*(7) Liebe ein wenig das Licht in allem Leuchten, – du Suchender!”
Standard translation:
*(1) “All suns burn in the same light!
*(2) Whoever is burned up into sun is united with all suns. –
*(3) You know not which sun’s light enlightens you in my light!
*(4) Do not set arbitrary limits!
*(5) All arbitrary limits vanish in the light. –
*(6) Seek the light in the suns and the suns in their light!
*(7) Love a little the light in all radiance, – you who seek!”
Authorized / Endorsed Translation:
*(1) “The SPIRIT’S suns all all burn within the same primordial light.
*(2) A self whom fire has transformed into a sun is thus made one with all the other suns and their eternal light.
*(3) You do not know the suns whose light my words shed on your path.
*(4) Let not your wilful mind draw arbitrary limits!
*(5) All imagined limits vanish in the Spirit’s light.
*(6) Seek the light embodied in the suns, and in that light search for the suns themselves!
*(7) As a seeker after truth, behold with love, at least a little, the light you see reflected in all radiance.”
All these frills guide the reader merely along the lines of the comprehension of the translator instead of providing a clear and clean translation of BÔ YIN RÂ for the reader to base himself on.
It goes without saying that it is of no importance to add countless additional examples since the purpose of this website is to make the unprepared reader aware of the importance of his choice. The authorized / endorsed translation is definitely enchanting, but alas, misleading the mind not yet familiar with BÔ YIN RÂ ’s teachings to a certain extent.
To the cosy well being of the reader, plainly envisaged by the authorized / endorsed translation, are added dedications of the books. For instance: “To the memory of my mother Edith Reichenbach 1908-1993” or “For Eric Strauss, Publisher and editor etc.”. Very clearly such dedications are possible within the context of a preface by the translator, but never in the way that BÔ YIN RÂ seems to dedicate his books to these persons.
Instead of the dedication to Edith Reichenbach the Original German book on the exalted subject of the Mystery of Golgotha is dedicated in the unfathomably deep words “To the mother of my children!” (in German: Der Mutter meiner Kinder!”).
Another dedication, to the German BÔ YIN RÂ Foundation, Deutsche BÔ YIN RÂ Stiftung, gives rise to some doubts about the linguistic astuteness of the translator. Which could possibly account for taking recourse to the paraphrasing category of translation.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
For their continuing generous support I am gratefully indebted to Deutsche Bô Yin Râ – Stiftung Giessen, Germany.
Again for her careful readings and many thoughtful suggestions I express my thanks to Alice Glawe.
The designation “authorized / endorsed translation”, applicable to 16 volumes of the Hortus Conclusus only, should probably be appreciated in the sense that the Swiss Foundation has consented to this translation: until 12-31-2013 all rights, especially the rights of translation, belonged to this foundation as the trustee of the BÔ YIN RÂ estate.