"Rene Char is the conscience of modern French poetry and also its calm of mind. Nancy Naomi Carlson, in these splendid translations, casts new light upon the sublime consequence of Char"s poetic character, and in Stone lyre the case for sublimity is purely made." ---Donald Revell, poet and translator of Rimbaud and Apollinaire "Early Surrealist, resistance fighter, anti-nuclear activist, and exquisite poet, Rene Char is at the heart of 20th century French poetry. In this insightful selection from across his long career, Carlson gives English-language readers a real sense of Char"s depth and breadth. And her masterful translations catch the barely contained drama that gives Char"s work such tension and presence, while her excellent ear picks up not only the sound relationships that weave through the originals, but also their delicate, seductive rhythms. A beautiful accomplishment."---Cole Swensen, poet, translator, and founding editor of La Presse