A presentation of new translations of The Knight in the Panther’s Skin was held at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) on May 2. Deputy Rector of TSU, Mikheil Chkhenkeli; Head of Administration, Nunu Ovsyannikova; professors, students and invited guests attended the event.
Deputy Rector Mikheil Chkhenkeli congratulated TSU librarians and invited guests on Librarian’s Day and focused on the importance of foreign language translations of The Knight in the Panther’s Skin. “Various nations have an opportunity to read this Georgian literary monument in their native languages, to understand its content and wisdom,” Mikheil Chkhenkeli said.
“The TSU Library keeps the richest collection of The Knight in the Panther’s Skin, including the first printed edition by King Vakhtang VI of Georgia in 1712, as well as other unique editions published in foreign languages. Today our collection has been enriched by German, English, Arabic and Chechen translations,” Head of the TSU Library, Zurab Gaiparashvili said.
Meka Khangoshvili, a representative of Chechen Diaspora in Georgia and advisor to the State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality, presented a Chechen edition of the Knight in the Panther’s Skin. She said that Nurdin Muzayev translated the poem into Chechen language in 1969. But the publication of that period is almost unavailable and therefore it became necessary to release the translated book again.
Nato Alkhazishvili, head of the publishing house Poezia, presented The Knight in the Panther Skin translated by Lyn Coffin. She said that “this is the first poetic translation, where quatrain of 16 syllable lines is used. Previous English translations of The Knight in the Panther Skin, including that of Marjory Wardrop, were done in prose form. This new English translation will enable readers to feel the whole beauty and wisdom of The Knight in the Panther Skin.”
