Traces of original idiostyles in poetic translations (‘in memory of the poet. Variation’ by T. Venclova in the interpretation of J. Brodsky and A. Gerasimova)

The article deals with translations of the poem by Tomas Venclova done by Josef Brodsky and Anna Gerasimova (Umka), who are representatives of different periods and styles. The poem In Memory of the Poet. Variation, dedicated to O. Mandelstam, continues the tradition of epitaphs on a poet and is genetically related to the elegy by J. Brodsky Verses on the Death of T. S. Eliot. Analysis of the target text, comparison with the Lithuanian original and Brodsky’s verses of different years (Minuet (Sketch), Aqua vita nuova, etc.) made it possible to discover which features characteristic of his own poems were used by J. Brodsky in the translation, what interpretation the images of the source text received, being supplemented by the metaphorical character of the “big poem” - Brodsky’s genre form based on variations and repetitions, associative relations of motifs and images. The translation by A. Gerasimova is more precise, the poetic language is simplified. The translator reduced the number of expanded metaphors and epithets. The language of her own poems is also lapidary. They are mostly eight-verse, two- and three-quatrain compositions that are distinguished by the clarity of language, imagery, syntax, strophic form, accuracy of rhyme. Josef Brodsky and Anna Gerasimova conveyed the poetological motif of the original in accordance with their own creative attitudes: the idea of the power of a word is emphasized by J. Brodsky, the rejection of the poet’s high mission determines the poetics of the translation by A. Gerasimova. The text by Tomas Venclova in translation by two poets with different stylistic strategies found its middle position, balancing between semantic complexity and simplicity of the poetic language.