Those Ladies in Pelts

On February 14, 1922, I uploaded my complete translation of Wanda von Sacher-Masoch’s Die Damen im Pelz, translated and with comments, as Those Ladies in Pelts. It can be found on archive.org in Community Texts or Community Collections.

I noticed that somebody had once uploaded the German version of the book as published by the Schreitersche Verlagsbuchhandlung, but for some reason it was removed – perhaps because of the Fraktur lettering used, or because at that time, it was still under copyright, based on the year of death of the author.

I would like to point out an error in the first story. Although it does not have any significance in the flow of events, and in spite of allowing myself certain liberties (as explained from time to time within my work), I do not want that mistake to cast doubt on my ability to properly understand the text – especially if and when I upload the German version – or someone else does; or if someone else has the book – and if in either of the cases, someone notices what could be a glaring discrepancy.

In the corrupted paragraph, Herma Dalstrem has just stepped into the lion cage. Prince Maniasko has arrived with his bride-to-be, the Princess Agrafine Slobuda,, who had asked him to bring her to the show that very night. The lion tamer steps into the cage, and she sees the princess. I wrote that Herma looked at Agrafine through her lorgnette. In fact, it was the other way around.

Now, should anyone notice that I did not properly describe the kiss Herma gave Maniasko on his first midnight visit, I intentionally toned down the sentence. The same was done in at least one of the articles found on line, specifically in the Amador Ledger-Dispatch.

On the other hand, I did allow myself to be more explicit in my translation of “The old Monk”, which is found in an otherwise more literal translation here on this web-site.

A somewhat humorous “mistake” occurs in the translation of “The Ice Queen”, which, however, gives a better reading. The German “Eisbahn” [skating rink] was mistakenly read as “Eisenbahn” [railway, raildroad]. To have translated the relevant sentence as “the railroad of life” sounds better to this writer’s ears than “the skating rink of life”, however much the latter may be the literal version. Railroads suggest railroad stations, thus the writer also made a mental association with “stations of life”. Literally translated into Spanish, and understood as such, it refers to the seasons in one’s life. In a marriage, which, after all, is what the Ice Queen celebrates at the end of the story, one has to share the spring, summer, autumn, and winter. For this reason, if a revised version of my text is ever made, the original translation would be kept, while the literal content would be mentioned in a footnote, such as was done in maybe two other cases.

While I do not think that Ms. Sacher-Masoch wrote a great work of literature – a point that I emphasize in my translation – her writing may give some light entertainment to those who are not going to attempt a pychoanalysis of the one-time wife of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch.

March 9, revised April 12, 2022.

Paul Karl Moeller