Daria Knurenko
on translating Attila Mohylyny
Translating a part of Mohylyny’s cycle “Chimeras,” which consists of seven parts — Unintelligible Dreaming, On a Murky Street, Chimeric Spring, Patriotic Chimera, Lyrical Chimera, Industrial Chimera, and Naked Chimera — was something I decided to do because of the unparalleled lightness I found in each part.
The images Mohylyny creates are warm yet fraying and ephemeral, like the old white rug on the wall mentioned in the poem. At the same time, the grammar he chooses is loose and flowing as well — mostly thanks to the enjambments, such as “bright like the music of pollen/beside a hut,/ in the wandering sun.” The two images he creates here of the music of pollen, first by a hut and then in the wandering sun, are unexpected and vivid both on their own and as seen in relation to each other, but the enjambment highlights the individuality of each.
Together, its small but memorable images and unbothered grammar contribute to the elusiveness of the poem as a whole.
Another interesting aspect of this poem is its title, "Lyrical Chimera"; It’s quite obscure in the sense that it leaves much room for interpretation, but it is also undeniably warm and welcoming, setting the scene for the rest of the poem and how filled with unexpected, momentary smiles it is.
about the author
Attyla Mohylyny is a Ukrainian poet writing in the 20th century. His most famous poetry collection is called "Kyiv Contours", and it’s also where I found this poem that caught my attention. Referred to as the “urbanist of his generation”, he is well-known for his refreshing and undeniably modernist depiction of Ukrainian urban spaces in his poetry. Mohylyny’s poetic language is a blend of intimate understanding and gentle noticing.
about the translator
Daria Knurenko is a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania studying Comparative Literature and History of Art. 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. She is the Editor-in-Chief of DoubleSpeak this year. 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.
