What it really takes to translate Shakespeare, with Daniel Hahn

What it really takes to translate Shakespeare, with Daniel Hahn

From Grammar Girl by QuickAndDirtyTips.com

June 11, 2026 · 35 min · Episode 1193

About this episode

The episode features an interview with translator Daniel Hahn discussing the complexities of translating Shakespeare.

1193. Today, we talk to award-winning translator Daniel Hahn, author of "If This Be Magic," about what it really takes to translate Shakespeare, starting with the philosophical paradox at the heart of all translation: changing every single word while changing nothing at all. We look at the special challenges Shakespeare poses, including preserving rhyme and meter in languages that work completely differently. Find Daniel's book "If This Be Magic" 🔗  Join the Grammar Girl Patreon. 🔗  Share your familect recording in  Speakpipe  or by leaving a voicemail at 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475) 🔗  Watch my  LinkedIn Learning writing courses . 🔗  Subscribe to the  newsletter . 🔗  Take  our advertising survey . 🔗  Get the edited  transcript here . 🔗  Get  Grammar Girl books . | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | Grammar Girl is part of  the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network . Audio Engineer: Dan Feierabend Director of Podcast: Holly Hutchings Advertising Operations Specialist: Morgan Christianson Marketing and Video: Nat Hoopes, Rebekah Sebastian Podcast Associate: Maram Elnagheeb | Theme music by  Catherine Rannus…

People in this episode

Host: Mignon Fogarty

Guest: Daniel Hahn

Topics covered

  • translation
  • Shakespeare
  • language
  • literature
  • philosophy
  • poetry

Keywords

  • translation
  • Shakespeare
  • Daniel Hahn
  • literature
  • poetry
  • rhyme
  • meter

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: QuickAndDirtyTips.com, Grammar Girl

Books & works: If This Be Magic

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