Concepts of Translation of Russian Poetry in Western Culture

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15826/qr.2023.4.839

Keywords:

verse system, verse meter, rhyme, Spanish poetry, Russian poetry

Abstract

This article compares the peculiarities of Western and Russian versification and then considers the aspects to observe when translating Russian poems. While the Western tradition continues to be dominated by the distinction between form and content, Russian poetry does not share this binary logic, as both concepts are inextricably linked. Whereas in the West, poetry has become individualised, “mute”, and mostly “written”, Russian verse has not lost its “communicative” character and is therefore highly phonetic. Given this fact, it is possible to identify some Spanish-language examples that bring the two traditions closer together and can serve as rhythmic models for a more identical translation of Russian verse. The author uses his own experience as a translator of Russian-language poems.

Author Biography

Omar Lobos

Dr. Hab. (Philology), Lecturer, University of Buenos Aires.

480, Puán, C1406CQJ, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

ORCID 0000-0001-8802-8232

calfucur@yahoo.com.ar

References

Anikina, O. (2016). O verlibre, sillabotonike i ne tol’ko [About Free Verse, Accentual-Syllabic Verse, and More]. In Literratura. Elektronnyi literaturnyi zhurnal [website]. June 20. URL: https://literratura.org/events/1813-olga-anikina-o-verlibre-sillabotonike-i-netolko.html (accessed: 03.11.2023).

Berman, A. (2014). La traducción y la letra o el albergue de lo lejano. Buenos Aires, Dedalus. 162 p.

Even-Zohar, I. (2007–2011). Polisistemas de cultura. Tel Aviv, Universidad de Tel Aviv. 228 p.

Frate, R. (2023). O estabelecimento das formas poéticas na Rússia: as experiências de Trediakóvski, Kantemir e Lomonóssov. In RUS (São Paulo). Vol. 14. No. 24, pp. 41–62. DOI 10.11606/issn.2317-4765.rus.2023.210039.

Khodasevich, V. (2001). Stikhotvoreniya [Poems]. St Petersburg, Akademechiskii proekt. 272 p.

Lomonosov, M. V. (1986). Pis’mo o pravilakh rossiiskogo stikhotvorstva [Letter on the Rules of Russian Poetry]. In Lomonosov, M. V. Izbrannye proizvedemiya v 2 t. Moscow, Nauka. Vol. 2, pp. 146–153.

Madrid Cobos, E. (2021). Petrarca y los orígenes del soneto. In El Coloquio de los Perros. Revista de Literatura. Obtenido de [digital journal]. URL: https://elcoloquiodelosperros.weebly.com/artiacuteculos/petrarca-y-los-origenes-del-soneto (accessed: 03.11.2023).

Mayakovsky, V. V. (1987–1988). Sochineniya v 2 t. [Works. 2 Vols.]. Moscow, Pravda.

Meschonnic, H. (2009). Ética y política del traducir. Buenos Aires, Leviatán. 192 p.

Tynyanov, Yu. (1924). Problema stikhotvornogo yazyka [The Problem of Poetic Language]. Leningrad, Academia. 140 p.

Published

2023-12-21

How to Cite

Lobos, O. (2023). Concepts of Translation of Russian Poetry in Western Culture. Quaestio Rossica, 11(4), 1153–1165. https://doi.org/10.15826/qr.2023.4.839

Issue

Section

Problema voluminis