In 1913 a type-facsimile reprint of the Original Edition of Romantic Ballads was published by Messrs. Jarrold and Sons of Norwich. Three hundred Copies were printed.
(4) [Targum: 1835]
Targum. / Or / Metrical Translations / From Thirty Languages / and / Dialects. / By / George Borrow. / “The raven has ascended to the nest of the nightingale.” / Persian Poem. / St. Petersburg. / Printed by Schulz and Beneze. / 1835.
Collation:—Demy octavo, printed in half-sheets, pp. viii + 106; consisting of: Title-page, as above (with
a Russian quotation upon the centre of the reverse) pp. i–ii; Preface pp. iii–v; Table of Contents pp. vi–viii, with a single Erratum at the foot of p. viii; and Text of the Translations pp. 1–106. There are no head-lines, the pages being numbered centrally in Arabic numerals. Beyond that upon the foot of the title-page, there is no imprint. The signatures are given in large Arabic numerals, each pair of half-sheets dividing one number between them; thus the first half-sheet is signed 1, the second 1*, the third 2, the fourth 2*, &c. The Register is therefore 1 to 7 (thirteen half-sheets, each 4 leaves), followed by a single unsigned leaf (pp. 105–106), the whole preceded by an unsigned half-sheet carrying the Title-page, Preface, and Table of Contents. The book was issued without any half-title.
Issued in plain paper wrappers of a bright green colour, lined with white, and without either lettering or label. The leaves measure 8 11/16 × 5½ inches.
Borrow was happy in the title he selected for his book. Targum, as Mr. Gosse has pointed out, is a Chaldee word meaning an interpretation. The word is said to be the root of ‘dragoman.’
Targum was written by Borrow during his two years’ residence at St. Petersburg (August, 1833, to August, 1835), and was published in June of the latter year. One hundred copies only were printed. As might naturally be expected the book has now become of very considerable rarity, but a small proportion of the original hundred copies being traceable to-day.
A reduced facsimile of the Title-page is given herewith.
“Just before completing this great work, the Manchu New Testament, Mr. Borrow published a small volume in the English language, entitled Targum, or Metrical Translations from Thirty Languages and Dialects. The exquisite delicacy with which he has caught and rendered the beauties of his well-chosen originals, is a proof of his learning and genius. The work is a pearl in literature, and, like pearls, it derives value from its scarcity, for the whole edition was limited to about a hundred copies.”—[John P. Hasfeld, in The Athenæum, March 5th, 1836.]
“Some days ago I was at Kirtof’s bookshop on the Gaternaya Ulitza. I wanted to buy a Bible in Spain to send to Simbirsk (on the Volga), where they torment me for it every post-day. The stock was all sold out in a few days after its arrival last autumn. The bookseller asked me if I knew a book by Borrow called Targum, which was understood to have been written by him and printed at St. Petersburg, but he had never been able to light upon it; and the surprising thing was that the trade abroad and even in England did him the honour to order it. I consoled him by saying that he could hardly hope to see a copy in his shop or to get a peep at it. ‘I have a copy,’ continued I, ‘but if you will offer me a thousand roubles for the bare reading of it I cannot do you the favour.’ The man opened his eyes in astonishment. ‘It must be a wonderful book,’ said he. ‘Yes, in that you are right, my good friend,’ I replied.”—[John P. Hasfeld.]
“After he became famous the Russian Government was desirous of procuring a copy of this rare book, Targum, for the Imperial Library, and sent an Envoy to England for the purpose. But the Envoy was refused what he sought, and told that as the book was not worth notice when the author’s name was obscure and they had the opportunity of obtaining it themselves, they should not have it now.”—[A. Egmont Hake, in The Athenæum, August 13th, 1881.]