September 30, 2015

Translator's Note: Bulat Okudzhava


Translator's Note: Bulat Okudzhava

Today, September 30, is the International Day of the Translator. To honor translators and the various ways they give us access to other cultures, we present the beginning of and editor’s foreword to a 2002 volume on translating Bulat Okudzhava, a beloved songwriter of the Soviet period.

Okudzhava is mostly remembered for his simple, melodic songs – his own poetry set to music – but he thought of himself primarily as a poet and writer. His poetry was consistently apolitical and spoke to general human themes, which was construed as an implicit challenge to the aggressive politicization of life under Soviet rule. However, in the view of this editor, Okudzhava’s penchant for writing on themes that were common to all people, regardless of their politics, guaranteed him a place of esteem in world literature.

 

Bulat Okudzhava and the World

 

The fate of works by Russian writers, once published abroad, has been varied. While Dostoyevsky’s novels have become guides to the mysteries of the human soul for readers around the world, Pushkin’s poetry was and is translated primarily as a result of his status as national classic. A writer’s standing in national and translated literature does not always match. This fact does not negatively reflect on any given author in the literature of their people. It merely characterizes the uniqueness of their talent, in one way or another, and bears witness to a greater or lesser orientation of the works toward national or international, human themes. Translations into other languages are a litmus test to establish the author’s place not so much in national literature, as much as in world literature.

 

In Russian literature, Bulat Okudzhava’s place has already been defined. His poetry is a classic of the second half of the twentieth century. His novels and short stories are examples of excellent prose, worthy of carrying on the rich traditions of classic Russian literature.

 

Bulat Okudzhava’s fame in world literature has also been established. The translated literature of the world is incomplete without the prose and poetry of Okudzhava. His poems and works of prose have been translated into dozens of languages, and are known and loved all over the world. Researchers and translators of Okuzhava’s poetry and prose have gathered twice for international scientific conferences in Peredelkino (1999 and 2001), during which speakers particularly stressed the demand for Okudzhava’s works abroad. As pointed out by Marburg professor Barbara Karhoff at the conference in 1999, “Russians could not have wished for a better intermediary between Russian and other cultures than Bulat Okudzhava.” An emphatic affirmation of the worldwide spread of Bulat Okudzhava’s poetry was the First International Festival “Everyone Sings Bulat’s Verses…” held in Moscow in 2001, where his songs were performed in more than ten languages.

Want to dig into some Okudzhava? Check out issue 31 of Chtenia, Okudzhava Bilingual, presenting some of the poet's finest prose and verse, side by side in English and Russian.

Read also: last year’s post in honor of the International Day of the Translator, featuring Boris Pasternak’s reflections on translation! Also, read about St. Jerome, the patron saint of translators.


Source: Чайковский, Р.Р. «Булат Окуджава и мир: предисловие редактора» Булат Окуджава. Перевод и переводчики. Вып. 3. Магадан: «Кордис», 2002. 3-4.

Translation by Eugenia Sokolskaya

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955