The Poem of Queen Esther

This is a translation from the Spanish of a long poem based on the biblical book of Esther. The author, Joao Pinto Delgado (c. 1585-1653) lived in Portugal, the Spanish Netherlands, and France. The choice of subject for this poem, with its theme of resistance to murderous oppression, was a subversive act of protest against the persecution of th Jews by the Inquisition. Today, it is equally resonant with the events of the Holocaust. It is also an elegant piece of Renaissance writing. Slavitt's skillful translation preserves the thyme scheme of the original, and wonderfully evokes the lavishness and sensuousness of Pinto Delgado's descriptions.