Human scholarly translations
Published human scholarly translations are the gold standard and the touchstone for serious study. For academic quotation or citation of Kierkegaard in English, use one of those editions—not this free, provisional AI-assisted web translation.
The established academic standard
Søren Kierkegaard, Works of Love, edited and translated by Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong (Princeton University Press, 1995), Kierkegaard’s Writings, volume XVI.
The Hong and Hong edition is the conventional English-language scholarly reference. It is the safest choice when page-specific academic citation, editorial notes and consistency with the Princeton series matter. ISBN 0-691-03792-2 (978-0-691-03792-2).
British National Bibliography record for the Princeton edition · Digital edition record
A major recent human translation
Søren Kierkegaard, Works of Love: A New Translation, translated by Bruce H. Kirmmse (Liveright/W. W. Norton, 2025).
Kirmmse’s edition offers a recent, independent human rendering by a distinguished Kierkegaard scholar. It is a major scholarly translation and a citable touchstone for readers comparing how expert human translators handle Kierkegaard’s voice and argument. Hardback ISBN 978-1-324-09367-1; ebook ISBN 978-1-324-09368-8.
Publisher’s page for the Kirmmse translation
A more affordable edition of Hong and Hong
Søren Kierkegaard, Works of Love, translated by Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong, with a foreword by George Pattison (Harper Perennial Modern Thought, 2009).
This edition presents the Hong and Hong translation in a less expensive reading format. It is a good choice for readers who want the established translation but do not require the full Princeton scholarly apparatus. ISBN 978-0-06-171327-9.
Bookshop.org UK page for the Harper edition · Google Books edition record
Which should I choose?
- For the established academic citation standard and editorial notes: Hong and Hong, Princeton, 1995.
- For a recent scholarly translation and academic comparison: Kirmmse, Liveright, 2025.
- For an affordable reading copy of the Hong translation: Harper Perennial, 2009.
No translation is final, and different editions may use different wording and page numbers. This website should not be substituted for a published human scholarly translation in academic citation. Check the edition required by a course, reading group or publication before buying. The links above are provided for readers’ convenience; this website receives no commission.
Bibliographical note: The Oxford Handbook of Kierkegaard records the 1995 Hong and Hong edition as its standard English reference for Works of Love. See the Oxford Handbook abbreviations and references.