CARE; ZORGZAAMHEID

First edition, first printing. The Dedication Copy. Signed by the author and translator. Publisher's dos-à-dos binding, half brown buckram over marbled paper boards, with handmarbled endpapers. Housed in a matching marbled paper and buckram box. This the dedication copy, inscribed to the poet's sister Mary and her husband Gerald Cookson on the occasion of their Silver Wedding anniversary, with the addition (unique to this copy) of a manuscript poem in the poet's hand on the first blank page. A fine copy, the binding[s] square and firm, the contents clean throughout. A very special dedication and association copy of this beautifully produced Irish/Dutch volume.

Published in an edition of 200 copies; 50 copies, numbered I - L, twin-bound with the Dutch version of the poems in buckram with handmarbled endpapers by Geert van Daal, Dodewaard, Holland; 25 copies, numbered 1 - 25, bound in buckram by Paul Curtis at Muckross House, Killarney; 125 copies, numbered 26 - 150 stitched in handmarbled paper wrapping by Geert van Daal. This copy, an unnumbered, hors commerce example of the twin-bound bilingual version. Inscribed by the poet on the half title "For / Mary and Gerry / with thanks for your inspiring care / which helped to make these poems / and love from / Richard" with, at the foot of the page the date, 11th July 1983, and Murphy's Dublin address. On the first blank, Murphy has handwritten the sonnet, 'Suntrap', later collected in 'The Price of Stone', published by Faber in 1985. The book is also signed to the limitation page at the back. Bound with the Dutch translation by the poet, Jan Eijkelboom (1926-2008), who has signed the limitation page to the rear of the volume (also marked h/c). The first, dedicatory, poem of the collection, 'Silver Wedding', is addressed to Mary and Gerry Cookson to mark the occasion of their anniversary. Mary, the eldest of five Murphy siblings was one of only a few close friends and family members that remained central to the poet's life. Their relationship is succinctly summarised in the printed dedication (echoing the inscription for this volume) of 'The Kick: A Memoir of the Poet Richard Murphy' (Cork University Press, 2017), "to my beloved older sister, Mary Cookson … whose lifelong kindness and generosity enabled me to write". In his memoir, Murphy gives an account of the serendipitous series of chance encounters between himself, Gerry Cookson and Mary that led to the pair meeting and falling in love.