Before i go on, however, ill just let you read them. Jun 20, 2019 both translators accomplished precisely what they set out to do with their work on eugene onegin. Set in imperial russia during the 1820s, pushkins novel in verse follows the emotions and destiny of three men onegin the bored fop, lensky the minor elegiast, and a stylized pushkin himself and the fates and affections of three women tatyana the provincial. Vladimir nabokov s translation and commentary of alexander pushkins eugene onegin by anna dergatcheva the individual perception.
Things have not been the same for the wouldbe translators of pushkin since vladimir nabokovs publication of his translation of eugene onegin in 1964. Because poetic translation is so overconstrained so that, in the words of vladimir nabokov, a rhymed translation that also translates the entire poem literally is mathematically impossible any attempt to put it into a. Eugene onegin is the master work of the poet whom russians regard as the fountainhead of their literature. The first nonrussian performance was in prague, conducted by tchaikovsky, and sung in czech. Eugene onegin 5 translations and a commentary part 2. Such used to be vladimir nabokov s reaction to the hurricane of controversy aroused by way of the 1st version of his literal translation of eugene onegin. Comparing the johnston and nabokov translations of eugene. When vladimir nabokov started teaching russian literature at wellesley. In the foreword to eugene onegin nabokov identifies three modes of verse translation. When vladimir nabokov first published his controversial translation of pushkins eugene onegin in 1964, the great majority of the edition was taken up by nabokovs witty and detailed commentary. Now with a new foreword by nabokov biographer brian boyd, this. There is very little of pushkin available on the internet in english, and this site was, at the time of writing 2001, the only one that provided an english version of yevgeny eugene onegin. Presented here in its own volume, the commentary is a unique and exhaustive scholarly masterwork by one of the twentieth centurys greatest writersa work that nabokov biographer brian boyd.
He prepared his own extracts for class use and invited edmund wilson to work with him on a full translation. Therefore, meaning is not an entity or property of an entity. Nabokov s is equally derided and revered, its somehow both clunky and precise i loved it. Dec 17, 2012 on nabokov on translating eugene onegin posted on december 17, 2012 by absitnomen a friend sent me a picture of a page from an old new yorker. Comparing translations one of my more neglected hobbies is comparing poetry translations.
The strange case of pushkin and nabokov by edmund wilson. Eugene oneguine, the chief poetical work of russias greatest poet, having been translated into all the principal languages of europ e except our own, i hope that this version may prove an acceptable contribution to literature. Pushkin eugene onegin, chapter 8 in a new freely downloadable translation. Eugene oneguine, the chief poetical work of russias greatest poet, having been translated into all the principal languages of europe except our own, i hope that this version may prove an acceptable contribution to literature.
The first period includes deutsch, elton with briggs, radin and patrick, and spalding. In the course of vladimir nabokov s literary career, translation, or as he referred to it in his legendary article the art of translation, the queer world of verbal transmigration, always fascinated and intrigued him. Introduction by john bayley 9 translators note 29 eugene onegin 35 notes. Both translators accomplished precisely what they set out to do with their work on eugene onegin. When vladimir nabokov first published his controversial translation of pushkins eugene onegin in 1964, the great majority of the edition was taken up by nabokov s witty and detailed commentary. This saw kept buzzing through my brain while i was reading vladimir nabokov s 1964 english translation of alexander pushkins novelinverse eugene onegin. Vladimir nabokov commentary to eugene onegin note to 1. Almost all russians look on pushkin as their greatest writer and.
This daring rendering of the russian masterpiece, including nabokov s targeted and witty statement, is itself a piece of putting up with literary curiosity, and displays a lifelong admiration. Vladimir nabokov, a multilingual russianamerican novelist, criticized this strict translation and wrote a more melodious and free version of eugene onegin. He kept strictly to the rhyme scheme of the onegin stanza and won the bollingen prize for this translation. The arndt translation is probably still held up as the gold standard.
Jan 30, 2010 the history of translations of eugene onegin in english may be divided into two periods. On nabokov on translating eugene onegin qualityarcade. Now with a new foreword by nabokov biographer brian boyd, this edition. Jacket spines have chipping to top and some light soiling. The translator and russian scholar stanley mitchell will be remembered for his translation of pushkins verse novel eugene onegin.
A nabokov guide through the world of alexander pushkin. When vladimir nabokov s translation of pushkins masterpiece eugene onegin was first published in 1964, it ignited a storm of controversy that famously resulted in the demise of nabokov s friendship with critic edmund wilson. Presented here in its own volume, the commentary is a unique and exhaustive scholarly masterwork by one of the twentieth centurys greatest writers. I recall that it had a chapter in it by nabokov about his translation theory, particularly as relates to his translation of eugene onegin.
The poems are quite lovely and are vintage nabokov. Nabokov reproduces the poem both so that the reader of his translation would have some experience of this unique form, and. On translations eugene onegin has been translated into english over forty times. Rereading nabokovs commentaries to eugene onegin jstor. On a platter a poets pale and glaring head, a parrots screech, a monkeys chatter, and profanation of the dead. The russian text is set alongside the translation, to provide easy comparisons for those who wish to make their own efforts. I know that nabokov stressed the importance of literal translation rather than preserving the original verse and rhyme of the russian version, but ive heard other views that say that it loses its beauty when translated in this way. Dec 27, 2007 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Aware that it was the backbone of the study of russian literature, he read the existing translations in disgust and despair. When eugene onegin first travelled the world it did so largely in translation. Nabokovs eugene onegin remains the most famous and frequently cited englishlanguage version of the most celebrated poem in russian literature, a translation that reflects a lifelong admiration of pushkin on the part of one of the twentieth centurys most brilliant writers. I traveled down your secret stem, and reached the root, and fed upon it.
Onegin is short enough and fantastic enough that i say read multiple. Vladimir nabokov translators introduction eugene onegin for nabokov, one of the greatest verse translators of his time, translation was a pathetic business. Mar 14, 2010 vladimir nabokov commentary to eugene onegin note to 1. Aleksandr pushkin, london 1964, princeton 1975, eugene onegin a novel in verse. This bold rendering of the russian masterpiece, together with nabokov s detailed and witty commentary, is itself a work of enduring literary interest, and reflects a lifelong admiration for pushkin on the.
They also employ the modified sonnet that pushkin invented for his novel in verse. Nabokov, a prominent russian writer himself, notoriously denounced several translations of eugene oneginin multiple languages before and after deciding to. It was interesting to compare the literal translation of nabokov with the one of. Alexander pushkin, penguin 1979 eugene onegin a novel in verse. A friend sent me a picture of a page from an old new yorker. A critic might point out a direct connection between nabokov s most recent novel, pale fire, which contains both a poem and its commentary, and his translation of eugene onegin and the. When it reached england in 1892 it was sung in english. The parasites you were so hard on are pardoned if i have your pardon, o, pushkin, for my stratagem. Nabokov s eugene onegin remains the most famous and frequently cited englishlanguage version of the most celebrated poem in russian literature, a translation that reflects a lifelong admiration of pushkin on the part of one of the twentieth centurys most brilliant writers.
Presented here in its own volume, the commentary is a unique and exhaustive scholarly masterwork by one of the twentieth centurys greatest writersa work that nabokov biographer brian boyd calls the. Nabokov began to think about translating eugene onegin as soon as he settled in ithaca at the end of the summer of 1948 and started preparing for his first year of teaching russian literature students at cornell. A novel in verse by alexandr pushkin, translated from the russian with a commentary by vladimir nabokov. Nabokov wrote an english version using the most precise translations of words and phrases from russian, insuring the existence of an english translation faithful to pushkins meaning, and johnston crafted a translation which retained the audial. Nabokovs eugene onegin remains the most famous and frequently cited englishlanguage version of the most celebrated poem in russian literature, a translation that reflects a. Introduction and translation traduction commentee, princeton university press, coll. Eugene,onegin,novel,in,verse,by,aleksandr,pushkin,chapter,three. Nabokovs translation theory translation theory and practice. Oct 08, 2015 the book, purchased at auction at christies in june 2010, features nabokovs copious autograph marginalia and contains, among other things, the copy of the russian text of eugene onegin he used when producing his famous and controversial translation of pushkins novel in verse. Pdf vladimir nabokov as a translator of pushkins novel. While nabokov admits that in losing its rhyme the work loses its. Such was vladimir nabokov s response to the storm of controversy aroused by the first edition of his literal translation of eugene onegin. The book, purchased at auction at christies in june 2010, features nabokov s copious autograph marginalia and contains, among other things, the copy of the russian text of eugene onegin he used when producing his famous and controversial translation of pushkins novel in verse. When vladimir nabokov first published his controversial translation of pushkins eugene onegin in 1964, the great majority of the edition was taken up by.
Translated from russian with a commentary by vladimir nabokov isbn 0691019053. The translation considered the best by some was done by walter w. When vladimir nabokovs translation of pushkins masterpiece eugene onegin was first published in 1964, it ignited a storm of controversy that. In 1964, vladimir nabokov published an english translation of pushkins eugene onegin, regarded by many as the supreme treasure of russian poetry, in an edition that spanned four volumes.
Eugene onegin 5 translations and a commentary part 1. His translation of eugene onegin, about 250 pages long, was. Nabokov worked on the translation and commentary of eugene onegin eo for ten years 19541964, which means on the scale of his creative activity that he devoted as. Onegin is considered a classic of russian literature, and its eponymous protagonist has served as the model for a number of russian literary heroes socalled. Johnston, a british diplomat and translator of russian poetry, wrote what is considered by many to be the best preservation of the onegin stanza and pushkins lyricism in translation. In 1963, walter arndt published a verse translation of eugene onegin preserving the rhyme schemes and metrical structure of pushkins text.
The history of translations of eugene onegin in english may be divided into two periods. Comparing the johnston and nabokov translations of eugene onegin anonymous college charles johnston and vladimir nabokov are the most wellknown translators of eugene onegin, because they focused on different aspects of the text and ended up with entirely distinct renditions of the same work. Things have not been the same for the wouldbe translators of pushkin since vladimir nabokov s publication of his translation of eugene onegin in 1964. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. In 1964 nabokov produced a translation of eugene onegin, a work composed of 389 stanzas of iambic tetrameter, for a nonprofit scholarly press. Eugene oneguine, the chief poetical work of russia. The 1964 publication of nabokovs solo translation of onegin. If that is so the list devoted to nabokovs commentary and translation of pushkins eugene onegin, which numbers a mere sixteen bibliographical items, seems. Introduction by john bayley 9 translators note 29 eugene onegin 35 notes 1 234 1 notes are at end of each chapter. Vn, from an anonymous interview, 1962 vn, on translating. When vladimir nabokov started teaching russian literature at wellesley college in 1944, he was frustrated by the lack of an adequate literal translation of eugene onegin, which he referred to as the first and fundamental russian novel. Feb 29, 2012 when vladimir nabokov started teaching russian literature at wellesley college in 1944, he was frustrated by the lack of an adequate literal translation of eugene onegin, which he referred to as the first and fundamental russian novel. Dec 20, 2016 in 1964 nabokov produced a translation of eugene onegin, a work composed of 389 stanzas of iambic tetrameter, for a nonprofit scholarly press. Translators note few foreign masterpieces can have suffered more than eugene onegin from the english translators failure to convey anything more than at best the literal meaning.