TSU master’s student translated Tsvetaeva’s poems into Portuguese

TSU master’s student translated Tsvetaeva’s poems into Portuguese

For the first time, Igor Werneck, master’s student of the TSU Faculty of Philology, translated 15 poems by Marina Tsvetaeva, which relate to her early work into Portuguese. Translations are now published on a Brazilian poetry site.

Igor Werneck came to Tomsk from Brazil, speaks Portuguese, English, and Russian. He studied philology at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (Brazil), received a bachelor's and master's degree, and in 2019 decided to additionally obtain a master's degree in philology at TSU.

- I translated the early poems of Tsvetaeva (before she left the USSR) for my master's work in Brazil, these translations are in my dissertation and on the Brazilian poetic site, - says Igor Werneck. - In total, I translated 18 poems, of which 15 were translated into Portuguese for the first time.

According to the student, in Brazil, Tsvetaeva’s work is little known, all studies and translations of the poet’s work are selective. For example, there is an anthology of the Brazilian scholar Aurora Fornoni Bernardini, in which 20-30 poems.

- My university has no Russian language area at all. Usually, students learn other languages close to Portuguese. In our country, there are studies on Slavic studies, but they are only in large universities. I began to study Russian myself because I always thought it was very beautiful. Tsvetaeva was one of the first poets that I read in Russian, and immediately I was fascinated by her manner and language. Like her poems were music, you know? I think that’s why I chose her, - says Igor Werneck.

The graduate student noted that he tried to do the translation taking into account the characteristics of the Russian language. He tried to maintain the same pace of poems, the same rhymes, to preserve the phonetic aspects.

In Brazil, Igor explored the work of Marina Tsvetaeva under the guidance of Professor Prisca Rita Agustoni de Almeida Pereira, in Tomsk he works under the guidance of Professor Marina Khatyamova. He continues his research but focuses on the emigrant poetry lyrics - from 1922 to the return to the USSR.

I am only a girl. My duty (1909-1910);

In the Luxembourg Garden (1909-1910);

In the Fatal Tome (September 29, 1915);

Poems to Block 5 (May 7, 1916);

Poems about Moscow 7 (July 8, 1916);

Poems about Moscow 8 (July 8, 1916);

Insomnia 3 (July 17, 1916);

Insomnia 6 (August 1, 1916);

Insomnia 7 (August 8, 1916);

Insomnia 9 (December 12, 1916);

Insomnia 10 (December 23, 1916);

I am. You will. There is an abyss between us (June 6, 1918);

My easy tread (November 1, 1918);

Two hands, easily lowered (Easter Week 1920);

You went away, Bread taste is gone (January 23, 1940).