She can read many of my favourite poets in their original language.

WERNER HERZOG – Xan Brooks writes: Does he read in English or German? “Ha,” he says, as though I have fallen into his trap. “I read in other languages, too. I read in Spanish and I read in Latin and I read in ancient Greek and I read in, er, whatever. But it doesn’t matter. It depends on the text.

I mean, take, for instance, Hölderlin, the greatest of the German poets. You cannot touch him in translation. If you’re reading Hölderlin, you must learn German first.”

The divine Holderlin! At least I enjoy the excellent translations of Michael Hamburger. He worked on Holderlin for 60 years and for his 80th birthday put out an 800 page parallel text 4th edition. My ‘Holderlin Bible.’