Doctor of Philology
Associate Professor
The University of Georgia
Tbilisi, Georgia
ORCID: 0009-0003-0358-2974
nan.pruidze@ug.edu.ge

Raphiel Eristavi – Translator of I. Krilov’s Fables

The name of Raphael Eristavi is well-known to all Georgians. His work “Samskhlo Khevsurs’a” remains one of the finest examples of patriotic lyric poetry. Although Eristavi was a contemporary of the older members of the 1870s literary generation, he was ideologically aligned with them. There is no topic of contemporary relevance of his time that Raphael Eristavi did not touch upon in his writings. He was highly popular not only for his poetry but also for his stories, plays, and vaudevilles. Eristavi did not only create original works but frequently translated texts by European and Russian authors.

Eristavi’s works were regularly published in the Georgian periodical press, both during his lifetime and posthumously. Among the most notable editions is the four-volume set edited by A. Kalandadze and A. Drevech, likely prepared with Eristavi’s direct involvement. Examination of these works shows that he paid special attention to translating poetic creations. His selected works for translation are characterized not only by ideological depth but also by high artistic form.

It is worth noting that Eristavi, like other literary figures of the 1870s generation, believed that literary production should primarily serve public interests and contribute to the spiritual and moral improvement of people. This likely inspired his interest in fables. Following Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani’s “Wisdom in Lies”, he compiled 16 fables; he was also among the first to translate I. V. Krilov’s fables into Georgian. The majority of these translations were completed in 1878, first publicized by Akaki Tsereteli.

In the journal Droeba (1878, #107), Tsereteli concluded an article “Minor Notes” with the following remark: “Raphael Eristavi possesses Krilov’s fables, and what sin is it that they remain in manuscript and circulate in print like folk tales?” Notably, shortly after this publication, in the same year, Gr. Charkviani published Eristavi’s translations of Krilov’s fables, which became a valuable acquisition for Georgian readers.

The interest of readers is evidenced by the fact that this collection was reprinted several times. One of the most complete editions was printed in 1895 by the Society of Georgian Friends, featuring all 66 fables translated and adapted by Raphael Eristavi.

This article aims to present Raphael Eristavi as a skilled translator, examining his methods, selection principles, and translation artistry.

 

Keywords: Raphiel Eristavi, fable, artistic translation.