The master’s thesis explores the challenges of translating poetry through the case study of Slovenian translations of Das Stundenbuch (The Book of Hours) by Rainer Maria Rilke. It focuses on a comparative analysis of fifteen poems, translated by two translators with distinctly different approaches: Kajetan Kovič and Gorazd Kocijančič. While Kovič preserves the formal features of the original and emphasizes musicality, Kocijančič prioritizes semantic precision. The first part of the thesis outlines the theoretical framework with an emphasis on Symbolism, which significantly shaped Rilke’s poetics, and presents the key features of The Book of Hours, characterized by spiritual themes, stylistic refinement, and metaphorical density. The theoretical introduction also reflects on the specific challenges of translating poetry, drawing primarily on the insights of Boris A. Novak and Štefan Vevar. At the core of the thesis lies a detailed analysis of selected poems in both translations, revealing differences in the translators’ poetics, approaches to rhythm, nuances of meaning, and the soundscape of the texts. Through comparative analysis, the thesis highlights the complexity of translational choices and considers how different strategies influence the reader’s experience of Rilke’s poetry in Slovene.
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