The Translator's Art and Shakespeare, with Daniel Hahn

The Translator's Art and Shakespeare, with Daniel Hahn

From Folger Shakespeare Library: Shakespeare Unlimited by Folger Shakespeare Library

April 21, 2026 · 34 min

About this episode

Daniel Hahn discusses the complexities and nuances of translating Shakespeare's works.

Is Shakespeare still Shakespeare even if every word is changed? While Shakespeare’s work is often hailed for its universality, its meter, metaphor, and wordplay pose special challenges for translators. How do you convey the rhythm and spirit of Shakespeare’s words in a language that follows fundamentally different rules? Author and translator Daniel Hahn explores these questions in his book, If This Be Magic: The Unlikely Art of Shakespeare in Translation. He interviews translators from around the world, providing unique perspectives on Shakespeare’s language and impact. Some of Shakespeare’s best-known lines can prove the most difficult to capture, like Henry V’s “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.” Even something seemingly simple like Lady Macbeth’s “Are you a man?” may be tricky to translate when the word “man” carries different connotations in different languages. In this episode, Hahn dives into the challenges and rewards of translating Shakespeare, exploring not only what is lost in translation, but also what is gained.

People in this episode

Guest: Daniel Hahn

Topics covered

  • translation
  • Shakespeare
  • literature
  • language

Keywords

  • meter
  • metaphor
  • wordplay
  • cultural differences

Mentioned in this episode

Products: If This Be Magic: The Unlikely Art of Shakespeare in Translation

Books & works: The Translator's Art and Shakespeare, If This Be Magic: The Unlikely Art of Shakespeare in Translation

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