Esperanto Language Blog

Autumn is on its way! The stint of cooler weather in my part of the country has me in a mode of nostalgia for seasons past.  So, I thought I’d share one of William Auld’s fall-themed poems, entitled “Septembra Mateno” (September Morning). Not only is it a great, short piece, but it also illustrates examples of poetic omission of suffixes in Esperanto poetry. Of course, you don’t need to contemplate all the technical aspects to appreciate the poem. Enjoy!

Kartonajn siluetojn de uzinoj
ĉe l’ horizonto iluminas suno.
Ĉi aŭtobuso glisas tra l’ scenejo
kun plena ŝarĝ’ de plusrolantoj fuŝaj.
Leviĝas la kurteno. Sur fotelo,
cinika karapaca kritikisto –
Dio — la manojn plektas sur la sino
kaj lace atendadas la kutimajn
replikojn netrafitajn, troajn gestojn,
parolojn forgesatajn, de ĉi trupo,
kiu sensuke ludis jam milfoje
gurditan dramon de verkisto Dio.
Diablo! — (ĝemas Dio sur fotelo) –
kia rimedo perlabori panon:
ĉeesti tiajn aĉajn komediojn!
Kaj dum la teatraĵo disvolviĝas,
Li forŝteliras al tavern’ apuda.

(As featured on Don Harlow’s Esperanto-Literatura en la Reto.)

If you have ever found yourself searching for a compendium of major Esperanto literary works, at last your needs have been met! A fairly new (circa 2008) English-language encyclopedia is now available. As soon as my university procures a copy of this enormous tome, I’ll give it a thorough read! Prices for Geoffrey Sutton’s Concise Encyclopedia of the Original Literature of Esperanto range from $50 US to $66, from what I’ve seen. Give it a look if you have the chance…I know I’ll be on the lookout for a copy!

In the meantime, if you’re feeling impatient for some Esperanto reads, don’t forget about Project Gutenberg’s large assortment of texts. It is one of my favorite websites to peruse! Of course, the Esperanto section (linked above) comprises mostly translations of works written in other languages, but it never hurts to have a little bit of practice.

After mentioning William Auld’s list of Esperanto Classics, I went off in search of the fabled compendium myself. The best link I’ve found thus far is on Tim Westover’s blog on Esperanto-USA. He has placed links to Esperanto-USA’s bookstore for relevant works, as well, so it’s easy to find a copy of the book you want.

Take a look at the post here. Thank you kindly for your helpful list, Mr. Westover!