მარინა ცვეტაევას ერთი ლექსის მასკულინური თარგმანი
Loading...
Date
2021-09-30
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
უნივერსიტეტის გამომცემლობა
Abstract
There are two Georgian translations of Marina Tsvetaeva’s
two-strophe untitled poem „Я – страница твоему перу„ (“I am a
Page for your Pen”, 1918). The paper analyzes the translation of this
poem made by Vakhushti Kotetishvili, which, in the author’s opinion,
is done masterfully, but has a masculine shade.
The analysis of the translation is preceded by the conceptualization
of the given poem, which is of decisive importance for adequate
translation. To a certain extent, the author shares Catherine
Ciepiela’s opinion expressed during the analysis of the poems by B.
Pasternak (“Spring,” 1914) and M. Tsvetaeva (“I am a Page for your
Pen”): “Both poems suggest a homology between the act of writing
and the sexual act”, but the author does not fully agree with the opinion
that “Tsvetaeva assumes a passive feminine posture.”(Ciepiela,
2018:5-6)
The original text abounds in the first person singular pronoun,
which is used five times in a two-strophe poem. The poem starts with
this pronoun, and its special role in the poem should be preserved
in the translation.
In the original text, “the roles” are distributed as follows:
“I” (for you) – a white page, black earth;
“You” (for me) – a pen, a ray of sun and rain’s moisture. Such distribution of roles grants a vivid place and status to
each of the two sides. This implies the equality of relationships. Here
the world is divided into two planes – the lyrical hero (“I”) and her
muse. Both components are equally important for the integrity of
the world. The poet surrenders to the other side, at the same time
remaining an equal partner.
The rain and the sky represent the masculine essence, whereas
the earth represents the feminine one. The rain fertilizes the
earth. In Tsvetaeva’s poem, the earth is black. Black earth is especially
fertile. However, in the Georgian translation, the soil becomes
“ordinary”, hence, its value is depreciated.
The phrase “if I bear it” which appears in Georgian translation
seems conceptually unjustified, because it points to the lack of
self-confidence. Yet, this self-doubt is impossible due to the status
attached by Tsvetaeva to her lyrical hero.
The translation of the second line of the second strophe (“I
await you - a ray of sun and rain - with appeal”) seems inappropriate,
taking into account the above-mentioned status as well as the
spirit of the entire poem. In the original text, there is no simile (and
there should not be any!), because the author draws a distinct line
between her functions and the functions of “the other”. The author
provides precise definitions and does not require analogies. Taking
into account the pathos of the poem, “awaiting with appeal” seems
excessive.
To summarize, the lyrical hero represented by the first person
singular pronoun cannot be “the second one”, “the subordinate
one” – “the awaiting one” “the appealing one”. This is the translator’s
masculine perception of the woman’s role, which does not coincide
with the poet’s own attitude.
Description
Keywords
მარინა ცვეტაევა, ვახუშტი კოტეტიშვილი, მასკულინური თარგმანი, ქართული თარგმანი, Marina Tsvetaeva, Vakhushti Kotetishvili, masculine translation, Georgian translation
Citation
მთარგმნელის საერთაშორისო დღისადმი მიძღვნილი VII სამეცნიერო კონფერენციის მასალები, 2021, გვ.: 107-113/ VII scientific conference proceedings dedicated to the international translator’s day, 2021, p.: 107-113