DAUMAL, René. Boulzicourt (Ardennes) 16.3.1908 — Paris 21.5.1944. French Poet interested in India. Son of anticlerical socialist teacher Lon Daumal. Educated at Lycée de Reims and Lycée Henri-IV, studies at Sorbonne. Born in rural milieu he became a socialist and active anticlerical, but at the same time he was also against materialism. In the late 1920s he tried to learn Sanskrit in order to be capable of translating Indian texts, but he was no scholar. Friend of Uday Shankar and G. Gurdjieff. He was living in Paris, in 1932-33 visited the U.S.A., in his last years spent much time in the Pyrenees and Alps. Married 1940 Véra Milanova. Died of tuberculosis. As an author he is called “spiritual para-surrealistic writer”.
Publications: Bharata. L’Origine du Théatre, la Poésie et la Musique en Inde. Traductions de textes sacrés et profanes. 210 p. P. 1970; articles on Indian and Buddhist thought (also on Zen).
– La langue sanskrite. 1985 (fascsimile edition of his manuscript grammar).
– Several works of poetry, novels, etc.
Sources: Préface and cover of his posthumous book 1970; R. Lardinois, D.O.L.F. 257; Wikipedia (more details and references in French version).
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