Осип Мандельштам - Переводчик грузинской поэзии

Osip Mandelstam - The Translator of Georgian Poetry

Creativity of Osip Mandelstam as translator of Georgian poetry is examined in the study. Mandelstam has many times visited Georgia but his trips of 1920 and 1921 were especially fruitful and contributed to his own poetry. In 1920 Mandelstam met Tizian Tabidze, Paolo Iashvili and other poets of the “Blue horns” group. In 1921 having appreciated and loved Georgian art, both painting and literature he was among the first Russian poets who attempted to make literary translation of Georgian poetry. He translated the poem “Gogotur and Apshina” by Vazha-Pshavela and six short poems of contemporary Georgian poets whom he knew personallym, thou their relationships were not always simple. These poets were Tizian Tabidze, Valerian Gaprindashvili, Nikoloz Mitsishvili, Giorgi Leonidze, Ioseb Grishashvili (two poems) and Kara Darvish. Each of these translations is analyzed in a dedicated section of the paper with brief description of the author, translated work in original and Mandelstam’s translation and possible the history of translation reception in literature. The place that Mandelstam’s translations from Georgian poetry occupy both Mandelstam’s work as translator and in general evolution of Georgian poetry translation into Russian is also analyzed.