Daria Knurenko
on translating Yuriy Izdryk (Юрій Іздрик)
Izdryk’s writing style in Ukrainian is conversational and easy-flowing, almost disarmingly direct, which made translating him at once an approachable and tentative task; I kept asking myself how to keep the lightness that he so skillfully fills his poem with, without losing the more insightful and subtly searching turns of the poem.
I particularly enjoyed the playfulness with which he describes tenderness in some places – such as in “завжди під кайфом завше на нервах,” or “always high always on edge,” which portrays it as this young, reckless, uncontrollable force, only to immediately contrast these images with an unexpected “здебільшого всує,” or “mostly in vain.” The catch is that in Ukrainian, “всує,” or “in vain,” is a word used primarily in the Bible to describe something done to no avail, unsuccessfully; it is usually used as a part of a highly elevated, religious register. To me, this contrast between the youth slang and the church language that Izdryk blends and manages to make work together is the definition of the appeal of his craft. Another aspect that made this poem important for me to translate was its insistence on the lack of punctuation, traditional stanzas, or meter. Altogether, these are atypical for Ukrainian poetry, at least to the degree Izdryk takes them, making him stand out among his contemporaries.about the author
Yuri Izdryk is a contemporary Ukrainian poet and novelist from Kalush, known for his innovative, bold, and deconstructive approach to writing. He was born in 1962 and became interested in literature at an early age. He then became involved in the artistic scene of Ivano-Frankivsk, where he worked after graduating. He also edited the avant-garde literary journal Chetver and started publishing prose, including his novel AM™ and The Island of Krk and Other Stories. His collection of poetry, The Lazy and The Tender, which includes this poem, is widely read in Ukraine.
about the translator
Daria Knurenko is a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania studying Comparative Literature and Art History. She grew up in Chernihiv, Ukraine, and speaks Ukrainian, English, French, German, and Russian. She translates from and into English, French, Ukrainian, and Russian, focusing on nineteenth and twentieth century poetry. Having lived in different countries has informed her interest in the ways people communicate across languages and cultures, as well as literary translation, which brings these notions together.
