". . . . And wholly musically, the poem concludes with the original chords of the familiar quatrain. with the basic theme which, returning at the end, rounds out the poem and gives it unity of thought and mood. But the voice of the turtledove that formerly called for Geraldine and William, now calls for Hynek—the poet's name—a symbolic motive of his subjectivity, a purely musical formation that resounds in the last stanza of the poem to indicate how much its creator particle pates in it with his heart and his personal destiny."
All this should be borne in mind when reading the translation of Macha's "May" and when criticizing or condemning the poetic quality and worth of this pride of the Czech literary world. The poem must be read with constant reference to one's own inner life, read for its emotion rather than its plot . . . for its music rather than its prosody. In the words of Prof. V. Vittinger. whose edition I have used in the preparation of this translation:
". . . . read yourself into his (Macha's) works carefully and you will realize then that in this famous poem 'May' there is more than just amorous cooing and robberous romanticism . . . that through its lines Life itself speaks to you—that life as it appears to man in his dreams and as we meet with it in reality. . . . Blazing beauty combines therein with blackest horror—such is Life—mystery, darkness,—a beautiful Night. Read carefully, adoringly—not with the eye but with the heart. . . ."
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