Miroslav Holub's ''A History lesson'

Miroslav Holub, (1923 –1998) Holub lived in Prague, and worked as an immunologist. He wrote a paper called ‘The Immunology of Nude Mice’. His obituary appeared in the New York Times. He also wrote wonderful poems. ‘Napoleon’ is also on the Poetry Voice, and as with that poem, versions of history collide, and the wit and the critical point will make themselves apparent if you let them. This translation is taken from Heaney and Hughes’ ‘The Rattle Bag’ and the translation is by George Theiner.