ABSTRACT The first complete Polish translation of the Canterbury Tales appeared in 2021, which indicates that despite previous efforts to introduce Chaucer to Polish readers the text was known to a limited extent and had an insignificant cultural impact. Earlier abridged translations had appeared: selected tales in 1963 and excerpts in 1907. Comparative analysis of these three translations reveals their common features: the same poetic form of rhyming hendecasyllables, contemporary language with occasional archaisms mostly referring to cultural realia, stylized sections, and paratexts helping readers with interpretation. Created with different agendas, the three translations, however, differ significantly, primarily in the extent of text offered. Only the 2021 translation provides a reflection of the original text that allows Polish readers true access to Chaucer’s masterpiece, the first two being refractions in various ways shaping the image of the text.
Ewa Kujawska‐Lis (Mon,) studied this question.