“The Princess of the Moon” and “The Bamboo-tree”: the fate of “Taketori-monogatari” in Russia

Abstract

The text of “Taketori-monogatari” was, most probably, formed on the verge of the 10th century; however, only the 14th c. version now survives. It contains several semantic layers and bears various genre characteristics – from a myth (the birth of a child from bamboo) to “monogatari” court tales (competitions on composing tanka poems). This paper provides details about the translations of “Taketori-monogatari” into European languages, starting at the end of the 19th century. In Russia, “Taketori- monogatari” is the only work of Japanese literature that has been translated at least four times. Its history in Russia includes not only translations, but quite unexpectedly, even a ballet performance. This paper describes the process of adaptation of the story in Russia and demonstrates different types of translation strategies.

The first translation of the story into Russian was published in 1899 in the “Niva” magazine under the title “Princess Radiant”. This was apparently translated from one of the Western languages, as was the subsequent edition of 1915 “The Daughter of the Moon. Japanese Story” (“Mir Priklyucheniy” magazine). The history of professional translations from Japanese language begins with the remarkable work of A. A. Kholodovich in 1935, written in a manner typical for Russian folklore narration. The latest, and unsurpassed so far, example of the translation belongs to Vera Markova. In 1962 she created not only a modern and eloquent translation, but also an experimental attempt to reconstruct some specifically Japanese poetic techniques within the realm of Russian poetry.