Konrad Wallenrod

A child's memories of a burning Lithuanian town give the conflict with the Teutonic Order a personal voice in Adam Mickiewicz's historical poem. Carried away during the fighting and given the name Walter, the boy grows up among Germans while retaining his attachment to Lithuania. Master Winrych raises him with affection, but a captive Lithuanian bard offers another connection: songs, stories and the sound of his native language.

Maude Ashurst Biggs's English verse translation sets this account within a medieval struggle for territory and power. The bard's descriptions of home stir Walter's longing, while his counsel turns toward patience, military knowledge and deception. Forests, flowers, the Niemen and shifting coastal sands give the account a landscape shaped by memory. Readers interested in narrative poetry can follow the tension between personal bonds and national loyalty. The accompanying prefaces explain the historical background and distinguish documented events from the poet's conjectures.