NORSA, Umberto. Mantua 16.12.1866 — Mantua 5.4.1943. Italian Polyglot Author and Translator. Born in a Jewish family, educated in Mantua, already then (1881) translated Catull’s poems, in 1884 Heine and W. von Humboldt. Law studies at Bologna, following his father’s wishes, but he also attended the classes of Giosuè Carducci. Beside classical languages and German, learned now Spanish, Polish and English, then many others. In 1888 graduated from law studies, remained some years in Bologna as translator. In 1893-1938 secretary of Gabinetto di Lettura in Mantua, then dismissed by Fascists as a Jew. In 1901 he began learning Sanskrit, in 1921 developed a special interest in Kālidāsa. Married 1899, two children.
Publications: Translated: Amaru: La centuria. 52 p. I Classici dell’ Oriente 3. Città di Castello 1923; “Bhartṛhari. Le tre centurie”, Scrittori italiani e stranieri: Poesia. Lanciano 1933, 111-175.
– Translated: Il nuvolo messagero (Meghadûta) di Kâlidâsa. 84 p. Lanciano 1926; Çakuntalâ di Kâlidâsa. 182 p. Lanciano 1928; Urvaçî (Vikramorvaçî) di Kâlidâsa. 139 p. Lanciano 1928; Mâlavikâ e Agnimitra di Kâlidâsa. 150 p. Lanciano 1929; La nascita di Kumâra (Kumârasaṃbhava) di Kâlidâsa. 155 p. Lanciano 1929 (canto 1-8); Le Stagioni (Ṛtusamhâra) di Kâlidâsa. Lanciano 1930; La progenie di Raghu (Raghuvaṃça) di Kâlidâsa. 1. 219 p. Lanciano 1933 (1-9).
– Transl. Visnuçarman. Il Pañcatantra. Apologhi e novelle. 1-3. 3+175+182+124 p. Lanciano 1928.
– Numerous translations from Latin (Catull), German (Heine), Polish (Mickiewicz), English (Shelley, Tennyson), Hungarian (Petőfi, Arany), Russian (Krylov), Greek (Aeschylus, Sophocles), and Hebrew (Psalms).
Sources: *Ugo Norsa, “Umberto Norsa (16 dicembre 1866 – 5 aprile 1943)”, Atti e Memorie, Accademia Virgiliana di Mantova N.S. 17, 1949, 6-24; Porru 1940; Italian Wikipedia.
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