Georgy Arkadyevich Shengeli, a Russian poet, translator, critic, philologist and literary man, is one of the great contributors to spreading the works of Magtymguly to the public in Russian. Among those who translated Magtymguly into Russian, his name deserves to be mentioned. He was born in 1894 in the family of a lawyer. His own passion drives him to work as a translator. In 1919, G. Shengeli began to work as a translator.

For more than 30 years, G. Shengeli has worked diligently and tirelessly, translating more than 140 thousand lines of his poetry into Russian. Among his most famous translations are: The Complete Works of George Gordon Byron (63,000 lines); The works of Emil Werharn (he translates most of them); Two works by Victor Hugo; Voltaire’s two tragedies; a large collection of poems by the great Magtymguly Pyragy; a one-volume collection of the famous Estonian poet Johannes Barbarus; A smaller collection of Heinrich Heine; Turkmen dessans “Yusup – Ahmet” and “Shasenem – Gharyp” (he translates the latter together with N. Mukhina); Lesya Ukrainian’s poem “Robert Bruce”; Ivan Kochershin’s tragedy “Song about Bokal”, Abulkasym Lahuti’s poem “The Magician of Happiness” and some of his lyric poems.

It should be noted that G. Shengeli showed great skill in translating Magtymguly’s poems into Russian. Analyzing the features of the translation of some of them will allow us to give clear examples of this. ” Azadym kany?” In translating the poem, G. Shengeli tried to achieve the content of the original copy, for example:

G. Shengeli points out the following about the situations that arise when using subtle types of translation: “If it was always possible to create such examples, then the fundamental problem of translation, that is, translation is actually a “creative work or not?” the question would never arise. The translated text of the work must be similar to the content of the original” [8,12]. That is, the equivalent expression of the content of the original text in another language testifies to the achievement of a high level of translation art. No matter how good a translator is, it is not always possible for him to achieve complete similarity between the original and the translation. For this reason, ensuring that the translation is as close to the original as possible is a major task for an experienced translator. G. Shengeli addresses the examples from his experience of translating Magtymguly’s poems, raising the issue of rendering artistic characters and comparisons equivalent in meaning. Emphasizing that similar content can be created in the translation based on the meanings given in the dictionary of the translated language, the expert translator emphasizes the importance of free research to express the meaning characteristics of the words. It also proves that the line-by-line translation method that was widely used in the early days is unreliable.

Noting that it is an important task to translate lines of poems depending on the context, G. Shengeli shows that it is possible to translate the poems of French, Italian, Turkmen and other authors written in beyt and yamb. In the translation of Magtymguly’s poems, he says that since the original version does not correspond to the melody of the Russian language, it is necessary to preserve its harmony and coherence. G. Shengeli explains this situation by the lack of equal-syllable poetry forms. The outer form is only the basic foundation of the poem. Rhyme harmony is the complex intonation and emphasis used in monosyllabic rhyming lines that are characteristic of each language. Therefore, the condition of “joints being numerically compatible” can be interpreted as a rule of thumb. For example, the author uses the six-step iambic form of the capyal meter in the translation of the twelve-syllable French poems, the five-step iambic in the translation of the eleven-syllable Turkish poems, and the Georgian “shay-rini” (both “high” and “low”) harmony and it shows that it is convenient to use an eight-point chord. As for the line measurements of the poem, G. Shengeli used “ghazal”, “mohammes”, etc. and it notes that it is even more difficult to translate poems written in octave form. However, with dedication and hard work, even such complex problems can be solved. Regarding the matching of the number of lines of the poem in the original text and in the translation, he pays attention to the need to fully follow the instructions that help to overcome certain difficulties with the harmony of secondary lexical units.

G. Shengeli’s creative approach to the translation of poems, considering the features of the original, determines the legal dimensions of translation work, and even in our days, this attitude has not lost its relevance. This teaching of a master translator is an invaluable asset in training future generations of skilled translators. G. Shengeli can be recognized as one of the founders of the school of translating Turkmen literature into Russian. Directly directing the effective implementation of the translation work, he founded a school of skilled professionals. And he prepared a worthy generation to continue the work he started, the first of whom is the name of Arseny Tarkovsky.

It should be noted that Arseniy Tarkovsky occupies a worthy place in the world of poetry created in the Russian language. Indeed, if we turn to the period of Arseniy Tarkovsky’s life, then we find that his poetry is a link between the so-called “silver age” and that period in the history of poetry. Although younger than Anna Akhmatova and Marina Svetaeva, Arseniy Tarkovsky maintained a friendly relationship with them. He managed to incorporate the traditions of the poets of that generation into his work.

The poet is known as an excellent translator of Abu-l-Ala-al-Mari, Nizamy, Magtymguly, Kemine, Sayat-Nova, Vaja Pshawela, Adam Miskevchi, Mollanepes, Grigol Orbeliani and many other poets.

One of the next famous masters is Sergei Nikolayevich Ivanov (1922-1999), a poet, scientist-turkologist, candidate of philological sciences, who translated many works from Turkic languages, including Magtymguly’s poems into Russian. Scientific works of S.Ivanov are devoted to the stylistic cases in the Turkish language. In them, the scientist expresses his theoretical views on the general problems of the philology and stylistics of the Turkish language. Among the successful works of S. Ivanov, one of the most famous works of the 11th century is Yusup Balasagunly’s “Kutatgu Bilig” book, as well as Alyshir Novai, Magtymguly Pyragy, Hafiz Khorezmi, Munis, Kamil Khorezmi, Birata Talyby, Hatamtai, Chary Afzal, Imameddin Nesimi, Meshrebi, translations of Muhammad Babir, Hussein, Yunus Emre can also be mentioned.

Despite the variety of creative styles, poetical features and skill levels of the translators who translated Magtymguly’s poetry into Russian, their work is a priceless treasure. They did a great job in spreading the immortal poetry of the great Pyragy and his leading, deeply humanistic ideas to the world.

Translations of Turkmen classical literature into the languages of various nations were performed at a high level of skill. A unique school of translations into Russian was created. Magtymguly Pyragy’s poems shine as a spiritual lamp for readers of other countries.

The multifaceted nature and artistic quality of Magtymguly’s work are valuable sources for us. For the first time, this work examines the stylistic features of Magtymguly’s poems in Russian, English, Spanish, and Turkish. Translating stylistic elements in the advanced era of linguistics reveals the novelty and significance of the task.

In 2014, under the title “Magtymguly: Selected Works,” the poet’s poems were translated into Turkish in Ankara, Armenian in Yerevan, Belarusian in Minsk, Kazakh in Astana, Korean in Seoul, Urdu in Delhi, Azerbaijani in Baku, Tatar in Kazan, Ukrainian in Kyiv, Japanese in Tokyo, Romanian in Bucharest, Chinese in Beijing, and French in Paris.

Notable Hungarian scholar and traveler Armin Wamberi has made significant contributions to Turkmen folklore, literature, history, and ethnography. In 1885, Wamberi’s book “Turkish Peoples in Their Ethnological and Ethnographic Relations” was published in Leipzig in German. This book consists of an introduction and five chapters, including the second chapter titled “Central Asian Turkish Tribes,” which contains a section “Turkmens: Origins, Division, Population.” This section provides valuable information on the history and ethnography of the Turkmen people. The author refers to Magtymguly’s poems and provides examples from them in comparative studies of Turkic languages.

Wamberi notes in this scholarly work that Magtymguly is considered a sacred figure among the Turkmen, holding the highest position everywhere, as he had written in his previous books.

Additionally, this section includes a special collection of Magtymguly’s poems. Four poems (“Öňi-ardy bilinmez,” “Gerekdir,” “Çilimkeş,” and “Näme sen”) are presented in German. Wamberi altered the titles of these poems when translating them, assigning new names.

Wamberi specifically mentions that he obtained these poems from the 33rd issue of the “German Oriental Society” journal.

In 1863, Wamberi brought a manuscript of Magtymguly, consisting of 260 pages, to Budapest and published a complete German translation of 31 poems and partial translations of 10 poems in his work “Turkmen Language and Magtymguly’s Divan” in 1879.

World scholars have shown interest in Magtymguly Pyragy’s works, making significant efforts to translate his poems into various languages and bring his works to global audiences. For instance, Aleksandr Khodzko-Boreyko published three of Magtymguly’s poems with brief information about him in English in London in 1842. F. Bakulin provided a brief overview of Magtymguly and translated two of his poems into Russian in 1872. Professor Armin Wamberi published 30 of Magtymguly’s poems in full and 10 partially in German in a journal in Leipzig in 1879. In 1907, N.A. Ostroumow published 50 of Magtymguly’s poems in the Turkmen language in an Arabic script-based alphabet in a newspaper in Tashkent, which was also published separately as a booklet in 1911. In 1941, Mark Tarlowski published the first collection of Magtymguly’s lyrical poems in Russian in Moscow.

This translated German text offers insights into Magtymguly’s enduring influence and reputation, affirming his role as a learned individual of his time.

The stylistic features of the text are notable. The translator’s use of simple past tense to depict events is apparent, with examples of the past tense forms “sich erhob,” “ging vor,” and “küsste” in the German text. The translator uses straightforward German language for describing events, indicating proficiency in the language. The translation is easy to read and understandable.

Ich war berauscht, und verlor mich ganz,

Wurde sprachlos und blieb in Verwunderung stehen.

Worauf sie sprachen: „Wir drei, wir sind deine Meister,

Dein Name wird in der Welt ewig genannt, …

In some parts of the text, the translator employs a freer translation method. The stanzas and rhythm of the poems are also distinctive.

It is worth noting that G. Shengel’s translation of Magtymguly’s poems into Russian demonstrates great skill. Analyzing the specific features of some translations provides clear examples of this. For instance, in translating the poet’s poem “Azadym kany?” (Where is my Azady?), G. Shengel has strived to closely match the original content. For example:

G. Shengel notes the following about the subtle aspects of translation: “If creating such samples were always successful, the fundamental issue of translation, i.e., the question of whether translation is essentially ‘creative work or not,’ would never arise. The translated text of the work must necessarily resemble the content of the original” [8,12]. This means that achieving a close representation of the original text’s content in another language is a testament to the high level of the art of translation. No matter how skilled a translator is, achieving exact similarity between the original and the translation is always a challenging task. Therefore, ensuring that the translation closely resembles the original as much as possible is a primary task for the experienced translator. G. Shengel addresses the issue of maintaining semantic equivalence in poetic images and comparisons by referring to examples from his experience translating Magtymguly’s poems. He emphasizes the importance of thorough research in expressing the nuances of words and highlights the need to be diligent in capturing the unique qualities of words. Additionally, he proves that the previously widely used literal translation method is not reliable.

G. Shengel highlights the importance of translating poetic lines within their contextual framework and shows that translations of poems written in French, Italian, Turkmen, and other languages in meters such as “beýt” and “yamb” can be effectively rendered in translation. He notes the need to preserve the harmony and consistency of the original work in the Russian translation of Magtymguly’s poems, due to the lack of equivalent poetic forms. The outer form of the poem only provides the basic structure, while the specific harmony of the poem, characterized by complex sound patterns and rhythm, must be preserved in each language. For instance, Shengel points out that when translating twelve-syllable French poems, using the six-foot iambic meter, and when translating eleven-syllable Turkish poems, using five-foot iambic meter and Georgian “shair-rini” (simultaneously “high” and “low”) meter, it is suitable to use an eight-line horic meter. He notes that translating poems written in forms such as “gazal” and “muhammes” in octava is particularly challenging. However, through diligent and persistent effort, such complex issues can be resolved. Shengel underscores the importance of adhering to secondary (explanatory) lexical units to overcome difficulties related to matching the number of lines in the original and the translation.

G. Shengel’s creative approach to considering the peculiarities of the original work in translation sets standards for the translation work and remains relevant in modern times. This philosophy of the master translator is an invaluable resource for training future generations of skilled translators. Shengel can be recognized as one of the founders of the school of translating Turkmen literature into Russian. He directly guided the effective implementation of translation work, established a school for skilled professionals, and prepared a worthy generation to continue his work, with Arseni Tarkovsky being one of the foremost.

It is important to recognize Arseni Tarkovsky’s significant place in the world of Russian poetry. Indeed, if we look at Tarkovsky’s era, we see that his work bridges the “silver age” of poetry and the period following it. Though younger than Anna Akhmatova and Marina Tsvetaeva, Tarkovsky maintained friendly relations with them and absorbed the traditions of that generation’s poets into his work.

The translations of Turkmen classical literature into various languages have been executed at a high level of mastery. A distinctive school of translation into Russian has been established. Magtymguly Pyragy’s poems continue to shine as a spiritual beacon for readers in other countries.