A game of Icy Waters. A Case Study of Domokos Szilágyi's Translation of Two Poems by Nichita Stănescu

This case study examines the Hungarian translation of two poems by Nichita Stănescu done by Domokos Szilágyi. The first part of the paper briefly outlines the life and poetic art of Nichita Stănescu, emphasizing the significant role he played in 20th-century Romanian poetry. Stănescu’s contribution brought originality and linguistic innovation to Romanian poetry, aspects that are highly complex and therefore challenging to convey in other languages. Domokos Szilágyi, himself a recognized poet and translator, translated several poems by Stănescu in the anthology titled Víziorgona (Water Organ). These translations were acclaimed by both contemporaries and later generations. The second part of the study provides a deeper and more detailed analysis of Szilágyi’s Hungarian translations of the two highlighted poems (Orga de apă, N-ai să vii – Water Organ, You Won’t Come). It not only focuses on the technical aspects of linguistic translation but delves into the musical and poetic characteristization of the poetic texts. Within this process, discussions revolve around playful use of language, grammatical subtleties, the transferability of rhymes and rhythm, while considering the equivalence criteria applied in literary translation. Beyond the technical approach, the analysis highlights the creative and artistic aspects of the translation work. The study explores to what extent translation can be viewed as a creative act and a creative activity in itself and examines how it intertwines with the atmosphere of the original work and opens up new dimensions in the target language. Keywords: literary translation, poetry translation, Romanian poetry, equivalence, language play, rhyme, rhythm, musicality, Domokos Szilágyi, Nichita Stănescu, Water Organ.