Poem by A.A. Akhmatova “Requiem” in the Dialogue of Cultures: Problems of Translation into Ossetian

Abstract

The article provides a comparative analysis of the poem by A.A. Akhmatova (1889–1966) “Requiem” in the original and in the translation of the Ossetian poet A.M. Kozachi (1937–2021) to identify similarities and differences in lexico-semantic means, figurative system and symbolism. The purpose of the study is to trace the representation of the semantic space of the original in poetic translation. The author shows the main types of translation strategies in the transfer of idiostyle features, gives an assessment from the position of reflecting the emotional message of the original in translation as a whole. The search for invariant correspondences in the target language showed the translator’s desire for more emotional identity with the original and partly for stylistic one. With the help of functional equivalents A.M. Kozachi managed to reflect in the translated text the personal experiences of the lyrical female character, to convey the confessional pathos of the poem. The absence of equivalents in the target language to convey some poetic images forced the translator to resort to associative substitution. The folklore, Orthodox symbolism found in the text is sometimes translated by non-literal lexical means. Since this or that symbol could not always evoke similar associations in the recipient, the translator resorted to semantic adaptation.