TRANSLATING THE CONCEPTS EXPRESSED IN SECULAR LYRICS BY SELECTED FEMALE EUROPEAN GOVERNMENT LEADERS OF THE TENTH TO SIXTEENTH CENTURIES (USING ENGLISH AND GAELIC POETRY AS SOURCE MATERIAL)

Abstract

From a contextual standpoint, an overview is given of the motifs and symbols which form the base of secular lyrics written by tenth- to sixteenth-century government leaders, especially of Britain and Ireland. The poetological, microcontextual, Translation Studies, cultural analysis is made. First of all, selected poems by Elizabeth I Tudor and medieval Irish female poets have been translated into Ukrainian, and anonymous female folk of Scotland is analyzed. The principles of lyrics by Elizabeth I of England and Mary Stuart are compared. Because of the isolation of cultural continuity the lyrics of the latter poet is compared with the work of Scottish female authors in female songs (“waulking songs”). By means of of comparative analysis the problems of gender and the marriage relationship are illustrated by the person of The Wife of Bath (in the Middle English original – “A good wif was ther of biside bathe”) (“The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer) as a typical heroine of her time, a leader and a talented narrator. Her view is compared to the lyrics of queens – those of Ireland (Gormlaith) and Scotland (Mary Stuart). The context of Irish scels is given. The heroines of these scels have poetic talent and a right of self-expression. Some examples are: Deirdre, Sin, Scáthach, Fe(i)delm, and real fili Liadaine. The character of Mary Stuart's poetry is analysed, as well as her pattern of governing. Her connection with the Celts is given; however, historical fact shows that the queen had Romance origins, rather than Scottish ones. One of the arguments for this thesis is the first Ukrainian translation of her sonnet (by Lesya Ukrainka, who, like others, knew about Mary of Scotland only through French sources). The article has theoretical and practical value.