Knight in tiger skin

This poem in its original form has not reached us. Over the centuries, the text of the poem has undergone certain changes in the hands of successors - imitators and many copyists. Many interpolated later editions of the XVI-XVIII centuries have survived, and among scholars the debate does not stop both regarding the content as a whole and about the interpretation of individual parts of the work. Successors added a mention of Queen Tamar. There is also a continuation of the poem, known under the name "Omaniani." Of all the editions of the poem “The Knight in the Tiger Skin”, the so-called Vakhtang edition, printed in Tiflis in 1712 by Tsar Vakhtang VI and provided with special comments, is the most canonized and the most widespread. There are up to thirty new editions of the poem, but with the exception of two, all of them, in essence, are more or less a repetition of the Vakhtangov edition. The official church of that time recognized the philosophical and religious views of Rustaveli as heretical; she discovered persecution against the poem.

To this day, the question of where Rustaveli borrowed the plot of his poem remains unresolved. Four have been expressed in the literature. ^{[ clarify ]} opinions: the first is based on the words of Rustaveli himself, who in the 16th stanza of the poem states that “he found a Persian tale and shifted it in verse, like a large pearl passing from hand to hand”; however, the Persian original, despite all searches, has not yet been found. The Persian story Rustaveli speaks of is apparently a retelling of the Indian epic Ramayana, which coincides with the poem The Knight in the Tiger Skin, both in general, in the main storyline, and in many small details.

The second opinion was first expressed by Professor D. I. Chubinov, who argues that Rustaveli did not borrow the plot “The Knight in the Tiger Skin” from Eastern writers; it was created by him and is aimed at glorifying Queen Tamara .

The third opinion belongs to A. Khakhanov: comparing Rustaveli’s verses with folk songs about Tariel, he suggested that the 12th-century artificial poem was based on folk poetry, just like Faust and Hamlet go back to medieval folk traditions. Rustaveli used a folk tale to portray a great historical era. A comparison of songs about Tariel circulating among the Georgian people with the poem by Rustaveli, where Tariel is the main character, reveals their unconditional similarity in the general plot and in details.

On the other hand, a comparison of Tamara’s life with the events described in the poem gives reason to think that Tamara herself is hiding under the name of the main character, Nestan-Darejan. One might think that the poet deliberately moved the plot of “The Knight ...” to the ideal locality - “to India, Arabia, China” - with the aim of taking readers away from guesses and hiding his love, “for which there is no cure ...”.

Although there are suggestions that the events described in the poem were transferred to other countries in order to show that racial differences between peoples are not significant and this story could be in any other country than only in Georgia.

Despite the debate about the origin, the book remains a valuable event in the life of mankind.

The plot of the poem “The Knight in the Tiger Skin” boils down to the following: the eminent but elderly king of Arabia - Rostvan, not having an heir, elevates his only daughter to the throne - the charming and intelligent Tinatin, who harbored love for a young commander named Avtandil ...
The protagonist of the poem is Tariel (sometimes: Tari e l). He was the son of Amirbar (commander), king of India, Farsadan ^[1] .

Rustaveli is a legislator and an unsurpassed master of the poetic meter that reigned in ancient Georgia, called Shairi, a sixteen-complex verse. Rustaveli uses two types of this meter: high (4 + 4 + 4 + 4) and low (5 + 3 + 5 + 3). The variety of types of meter in the poem is associated with a certain order of the rhyme system. The quatrains of the poem (up to 1500; according to the publication of academician Brosse, the poem has 1637 stanzas, 16 syllables in verse) are full of alliterations that increase its organic musicality.

Of the other features of the Rustavelian poetic system, the artistic clarity of his metaphor should be noted. The stanzas of the poem are saturated with complex and detailed metaphorical rows. And in all this complexity of Rustavel poetics, the simplicity of language, ideological depth and artistic immediacy dominate.

Noteworthy is ars poetica ("the art of poetry" - lat.) Rustaveli, given in the famous prologue of the poem. For the poet, the high social purpose and ideological value of poetry are indisputable. Rustaveli defends the advantage of the epic genre over the lyrical, suitable, in his opinion, only for "amusements, courtship and fun." The true poet, according to his views, is an epic, the creator of major narratives.

Author Political Opinion

The poem "The Knight in the Tiger Skin" in all its complexity reflects the era of Georgian feudalism, known as the "cartridge mob" ( patronage ). The main and ideal heroes of the poem - Tariel and Avtandil - are types of devoted and respectful "KMA" - vassals , selfless ministers of their patron , well-mannered and sedate, thoughtful courtiers, brave and selfless knights.

The poem idealizes the allegiance of the vassal and the duty to the king - the supreme patron. Immediate vassals of the king, courtiers and other nobles or noble people also have their own subjects vassals, nobles (such as Avtandil, Tariel, etc.). Thus, the public portrayed in the poem is, as it were, a link of patronage or, rather, overlord- vassal relationships, Rustaveli romanticizes the humanistic forms of these relationships: “better than any loving couple mutually loving overlords and vassals,” he says. The author deliberately warns readers: "service to his overlord (patron) will never be wasted." But the poet accepts overlords only "dear, sweet, gracious, likened to heaven, exuding mercy."

Rustaveli is an ardent champion of humanistic monarchism, which is based on the principles of suzerain-vassal relations and dynastic legitimism. One of the central motives of the poem is the cult of chivalry , military valor and courage . Idealized by the poet, the hero-knight is devoted and selfless in friendship and in partnership. Friendship and camaraderie are the basis of the chivalric order; solidarity and self-sacrifice are the cherished ideal of Rustaveli. Knights disinterestedly and gratuitously protect merchants from pirates and robbers , treat women with the greatest respect and respect, patronize and help widows and orphans, needy and poor. Rustaveli preaches generosity, even mercy "to great and small," "since the sun equally illuminates with its rays and roses and droppings." He advocates a free “choice of spouse”. Singing love, alien to greedy feelings, Rustaveli passionately condemns heartlessness and unbridled sexual lust. It is noteworthy that Rustavel’s love - “ midjnaroba ” - is inherent in the form of patronage (suzerain-vassal) relationships. The beloved woman in her position is the highest overlord patron, while the loving hero is only the “most devoted” vassal servant (KMA).

Religious Views

Rustaveli is an artist-thinker. The Christian-clerical dogmatism of the medieval West, the mysticism of Persian Sufism , and official Islam are alien to him. He does not reject any of the creeds known to him. The philosophical and religious thinking of Rustaveli, judging by the text of the poem he created, bears traces of the strong influence of Neoplatonism .

Composition

The composition of the poem is characterized by dynamic drama , often leading to unexpected situations. The poem is almost completely devoid of fabulous fantastic elements: genuine, human-earthly, strong experiences of living people are shown lifefully truthfully, artistically, directly, convincingly. Each hero of the poem, whether primary or secondary, comes to light in the most typical features. In this regard, every, even the smallest detail in the poet is natural. These are the main images of the poem - Nestan-Darejan, Tinatin, Asmat, Tariel, Avtandil, Fridon, Shermadin, which have become common names, the most popular names in Georgia.

In developing the plot, the poet uses a contrasting technique: different social layers and artistic images are masterfully contrasted with a great sense of proportion.

Rustaveli Aphorisms

Wise, thoughtful and at the same time laconic, winged Rustavel aphorisms penetrated the broad masses, turned into folk sayings, into popular wisdom (and not only in Georgian). It should be noted that these aphorisms, expressed in the form of lyrical digressions, epistolary appeals, are far from moralistic maxims. They help revitalize the story, dynamize the verse, emphasize the monumentality of the work. According to architectonics and composition, the poem “The Knight in the Tiger Skin” is one of the most magnificent examples of world literature.

The meaning of the poem lies in its artistic processing, psychological analysis and generously scattered wise sayings, which, after 800 years, are pronounced by a Georgian with a feeling of special reverence. Rustaveli inspires “free slaves”, proclaims gender equality (“the generation of a lion remains a lion, no matter what gender it is”), appeals to generous mercy: “what is distributed by you is yours, what is not is lost”. He puts personal merit above a noble birth, prefers a glorious death to a shameful life, does not tolerate a lying person, declaring: "lies and treason are two sisters." Such thoughts made “The Knight in the Tiger Skin” an educational book for the people, and the talented technique made it for the Georgians a synonym for sublime and artistic poetry.

Rustaveli's poem “The Knight in the Tiger Skin” - one of the greatest monuments of world literature - for centuries has been and continues to be one of the most read books in Georgia, exerting an exceptional influence on the further development of Georgian literature up to the present day.

After 1712, the poem was printed several times in St. Petersburg and in various cities of Georgia. There are more than 50 editions of the poem in Georgian.

In 1855, the tragedy of Leopard Skin, written in Russian, in verses by Tsarevich Okropir, appeared in Moscow. Rustaveli's poem in 1890 was remade by K. Meskhi into a drama, which was staged in Tiflis . A poetic Russian translation of an excerpt from Leopard Skin by Hippolytus of Bartdinsky is printed in The Illustration (No. 6-7, 1845).

There are five published full translations of the poem in Russian, made by Konstantin Balmont , Panteleimon Petrenko (completed by Boris Brik), George Tsagareli ^[2] , Shalva Nutsubidze and Nikolai Zabolotsky (including the full translation adapted for the youth: M. 1930 \ reprint: M. 1983) There are also full translations of S. Chatry, N. Mzareulov and K. Ovanov, which have not yet been fully published. Translations of some fragments belong to the poets P. Antokolsky, V. Derzhavin, I. Bardtinsky, E. Evtushenko ^[3] .

Complete translations of The Knight in Tiger Skin exist in German (Leist, Der Mann im Tigerfelle, Leipzig, 1880), French (La peau de léopard, 1885), Ukrainian (The Knight in Tiger Skin, translated by Mikola Bazhan , 1937), Polish, English, Arabic, Armenian, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Persian and Japanese, as well as Hebrew and Hindi.

There are three translations of the poem in Ukrainian . The first translation is prosaic and made back in the 19th century, its author is the Ukrainian scientist and public figure Mykola Gulak . Poetic processing of the prose translation of Gulak began to be carried out by his cousin Alexander Navrotsky , but this work remained incomplete ^[4] . The second, most complete poetic translation was made by Ukrainian Soviet writer Mykola Bazhan and was first published in 1937. The third is a prosaic translation by Grigory Halimonenko , first published in 1991.

There are two full texts in Polish - translated by Igor Sikyrytsky in 1960 from a Russian translation by Nikolai Zabolotsky and a translation from the Georgian original (edited by Tsar Vakhtang VI), made in 1976 by Jerzy Zagorski.

“Vityaz” was translated into Ossetian twice: the first translation was made by Mukhtar Shavlohov ^[5] , the second was by the poet George Bestauty ^[6] .

In 2009, a translation of the poem into the Chuvash language was published: "Tigăr tirĕpe vitĕnnĕ pattăr" ^[7] . In 2016, Athens published a complete poetic translation of Manolis Mitafidi into the Greek language Ο Ιππότης με δέρμα τίγρη. The translation was completed in 1974, the book came out after 42 years.

Excerpts from the poem from the 1930s to the 1980s were often translated and repeatedly published in all languages ​​of the peoples of the USSR and the countries of the socialist camp.

• Rostevan - king of Arabia
• Tinatin - daughter of Rostevan, beloved Avtandil
• Avtandil - commander in Arabia
• Sograt - one of the viziers of Rostevan
• Tariel - a hero in a tiger skin
• Shermadin - servant of Avtandil, who led the estate in his absence
• Asmat - a slave to Tariel, formerly a slave to Nestan-Darejan
• Farsadan - Indian King
• Nestan-Darejan - the daughter of Farsadan, beloved Tariel
• Davar - the witch, the sister of Farsadan, the teacher of Nestan-Darejan
• Ramaz - ruler of the hathavs
• Nuradin-Fridon - the ruler of Mulgazanzar, a friend of Tariel and Avtandil
• Osam - captain of seafarers Avtandil rescued from pirates
• Melik Surkhavi - King of Gulansharo
• Usen - Head of Gulansharo Merchants
• Fatma - Usen's Wife
• Dularduht - Queen of Kadzheti
• Rosan and Rodya are Dulardukht’s nephews. Nestan-Daredjan wanted to extradite Dulardukht for Rostan.
• Roshak - the commander of Kadzheti

• Abdul-Messiah (literally - the slave of the messiah) is probably the name of the ode "Queen Tamar and David" of the Georgian poet of the 12th century John Shavteli .
• Absal is the nurse of the Greek prince Salaman, the heroine of the legend of their love, common in the Middle Ages in the countries of the East.
• Aloe is an incense tree used for incense burning.
• Amiran is a hero of Georgian mythology , punished by the gods and chained to a rock in the Caucasus . The image of Amiran was used by Mose Honeli , the alleged author of the short stories Amiran-Darejaniani.
• Amirbar - in the East, the Minister of the Sea or the Minister of the Court.
• Arabia is perhaps one of the countries on the Arabian Peninsula.
• Aspyrosis - Venus .
• Badakhshan is a country in the Southern Pamirs , now the province of Afghanistan , where rubies , called the “Badakhshan Stone” or “Badakhsh,” were mined.
• Basra - a city in the southeast of modern Iraq
• Bezoar is a gem of organic origin.
• Wazir is the vizier .
• Vis is the main character of the poem of the 11th century Persian poet Fahr ad-din Asad Gurgani “Vis and Ramin” based on the Parthian tale of Queen Vis’s love for King Ramin’s brother. It is believed that the author of the translation into Georgian is Sargisu Tmogveli .
• Gabaon - a place near Jerusalem , considered a sacred land. Spruce and cypress trees grown there were considered the most beautiful.
• Geon (Jeon, Jeyhun) - Amu Darya River.
• Gisher - jet .
• Goliath is a huge Philistine warrior in the Old Testament .
• Gulansharo (from "gulan" (roses) + "shahr" (city) = city of roses) is a fictional city and state.
• David - apparently, David Soslani , husband of the Georgian queen Tamara .
• Dilarget is the alleged protagonist of the Dilargetiani work that has not survived, the author of which is Sargis Tmogveli .
• Divnos - Dionysius the Areopagite , a Christian saint and philosopher of the 5th century, the author of the doctrine of Areopagitics .
• Dostakan is a healthy cup .
• Drachma - a unit of measurement of the mass of Ancient Greece , equal in various policies from 4 to 7 grams ; also a silver weight coin .
• Dev - in the folklore of the peoples of the Caucasus , Asia Minor and Western Asia , Western Siberia , etc. - evil spirits, mainly a giant of anthropomorphic or zoomorphic appearance.
• Zaradhana ( Pers. ) - Armory .
• Zual - Saturn .
• Kaj is an evil spirit, in “Vityaz ...” kaji is treacherous sorcerers. Kadzheti is the country of kaji.
• Kais , or Kais, is the protagonist of the poem by Nizami Ganjavi (1140-1202), "Leili and Majnun," who was mad with love . Subsequently, this nickname became a household name for, denoting a passionately in love person.
• Caravanserai is an inn.
• Kimval - an ancient oriental percussion musical instrument , consisting of a metal plate, in the middle of which a belt or rope was attached, for putting on the right hand.
• Kronos - Saturn .
• Kulan is a species from the equine family. Outwardly, it very much resembles a donkey , but has many common signs with a horse , which is why the kulan is often called a half-donkey.
• Lal is a ruby.
• Maidan - a venue or a market square .
• Marich , or Marrich, Marrick - Mars .
• Mijnur is the nickname of Kais, the protagonist of the poem Nizami Ganjavi (1140-1202), "Leili and Majnun," who was mad with love . Subsequently, this nickname became a household name for, denoting a passionately in love person.
• Merani is a winged horse in Georgian mythology.
• Meskhs , or Meskhetians are residents of Meskheti .
• Mourav is the ruler.
• Mukr is a reader of the Quran .
• Mulganazanzar (from Persian “murgzar” - lawn ) is a fictional country.
• Mullim is a Muslim theologian .
• Mushtar - Jupiter .
• Nye is a wind musical instrument.
• Backgammon is a board game for two players on a special board divided into two halves.
• Nineveh residents of Nineveh
• Otaride - Mercury .
• Romagna is one of the European countries inhabited by Romanesque peoples.
• Growth - a giant athlete, the protagonist of the epic of the Persian poet of the second half of the X century Firdousi "Shahname."
• Rustavi is a locality and castle in Meskheti .
• Sirin is a virgin bird.
• Spasalar - commander of the troops.
• Spaspet - commander of the troops.
• Stage is a unit of measurement of distances in ancient systems of measures of many peoples.
• Talent is a unit of mass used in ancient times in Europe, Western Asia and North Africa.
• Tamara - Queen of Georgia in 1184 - 1213
• Tmogveli, Sargis is a 12th-century Georgian writer who is credited with translating Fahr ad-din Asad Gorani’s novel “Vis and Ramin”. The poem is mentioned as the author of a work about Dilarget.
• Hatayeti is a country of hatavs located to the north of China and inhabited by Turks .
• Khatun is a noble lady.
• Honeli, Mose , a 12th-century Georgian writer, alleged author of the Amiran-Darejaniani series of short stories.
• Khorezm is an ancient state of Central Asia with a center in the lower reaches of the Amu Darya .
• Ezros - possibly Abraham Ibn Ezra , a 12th-century Jewish poet and philosopher.

Comments

Sources

• Shota Rustaveli. Wearing a leopard skin: Georgian poem of the 12th century / Per. C. Balmont. - M .: Publishing house M. and S. Sabashnikovs , 1917. - 113 p.
• Shota Rustaveli. The Knight in Tiger Skin: Poem / Per. C. Balmont. - M .: Academia , 1936 .-- 291 p.
• Shota Rustaveli. The Knight in Tiger Skin / Per. G. Tsagareli, ed. Vl. Elsinera. - M .: Goslitizdat , 1937 .-- 236 p. - 15,000 copies.
• Shota Rustaveli. The Knight in Tiger Skin / Per. P. Petrenko with the participation and under the editorship of Konstantin Chichinadze; open ed. I. Orbeli. -M. - L. : Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR , 1938. - 283 p.
• Shota Rustaveli. The Knight in Tiger Skin: A Poem in Poems / Transl. Sh. Nutsubidze, ed. S. Gorodetsky. - M .: Fiction , 1941. - 320 p. - 10,000 copies.
• Folk tale “The Knight in the Tiger Skin” / Literary Processing by B. Korneev. - Tbilisi: Dawn of the East , 1941 .-- 46 p. - (Library of Georgian fiction; issue VII).
• Shota Rustaveli. The Knight in Tiger Skin / Per. N. Zabolotsky. - M .: Goslitizdat, 1957.- 291 p.
• Shota Rustaveli. Knight in a leopard skin / Subscript per. S. Iordanishvili. - Tbilisi: Literature and Helovneba, 1966 .-- 330 p.
• Shota Rustaveli. Knight in a leopard skin: Poem / Per. C. Balmont. - Tbilisi: Merani, 1989 .-- 283 p.

• Rustaveli // Literary Encyclopedia : 11 vol. - [ M. ], 1929-1939.
• Rustaveli, Shota // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.
• “The Knight in the Tiger Skin” (translation by N. A. Zabolotsky)
• “The Knight in the Tiger Skin” (translation by P. A. Petrenko)
• "Knight ..." in Georgian
• Another original “The Knight ...” (cargo.)
• Site dedicated to "The Knight ..."
• http://www.confcontact.com/Okt/23_Fedyu.php
• Question about the origin of the poem “The Knight in the Tiger Skin” (inaccessible link)