INTERPRETATION OF THE POEM “IF” BY RUDYARD KIPLING: THE TRANSLATION APPROACH OF VASYL STUS

Abstract

The article deals with the translation activity of Vasyl Stus, namely his translation of poem “If” by Rudyard Kipling. The main focus is on the comparative analysis of how both authors interpret the concept of freedom and responsibility through poetic images and stylistic means. Kipling's poem, written in the form of a father's advice to his son, is marked by the idealisation of independence and courage in the face of life’s trials. In turn, Stus’s translation not only preserves the original essence of the motif of freedom, but also gives it new shades that are characteristic of the Ukrainian context and ideals. Rudyard Kipling is one of the most famous English poets and his poem “If” is considered a classic work that expresses the wisdom of life and an important philosophy of the principle of moral education and upbringing. The process of translation is studied as a creative act of transformation that allows us to convey not only the lexical but also the emotional and cultural context of the original work. The article also analyses how the translation reflects the key themes of the poem, such as courage, endurance and personal dignity. The distinctive personality of Vasyl Stus as the translator is manifested in the use of contextually and occasionally transformed phraseology, which not only adequately conveys the emotional and expressive content of the original, but also sometimes sharpens and dramatizes the author's expressions. The article discusses the process of translation, analyses the stylistic features of the translation, and compares the original Kipling text with the Ukrainian version. In particular, the article focuses on how Stus, being known for his skill in translation, managed to preserve the emotional and semantic depth of the original while adapting it to the Ukrainian cultural context. The article offers a new perspective on Stus's art of translation, his interpretation and adaptation of classical English poetry for the Ukrainian reader.