Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0005140, Sun, 4 Jun 2000 18:08:15 -0700

Subject
Re: VN Poems Translated (fwd)
Date
Body
From: Peter Kartsev <petr@glas.apc.org>


I presume that the English translation was done via German. The curious thing
is that I can't find the original Russian text in any collection, although I
definitely read it somewhere. I am positive, though, that "the dragging shame
of my life" - rather uncharacteristic of VN, isn't? - was "the shame of
existence" in the original. The parallel with Borges' "la triste costumbre de
ser alguien" is as curious as it is probably superficial.

Peter.


Galya Diment wrote:

> From: Iann88@aol.com
>
> Enjoyed that little VN poem just newly translated. Say, I wonder,
> could I ask other people to give their own different translations of the
> same poem to get different takes on it? And this could apply to other newly
> discovered VN poems. I mean Dante has been translated by many writers. It
> could be a nice addition to the List. I don't know Russian, or I'd love to
> take a crack at it. I mean a poem is short, not a novel, and would lend
> itself to multiple translations.
>
> Phil Iannarelli