Commitment and artistry. The ideal of cultural mediation in István Kótyuk’s translation of “The Forest Song” by Lesia Ukrainka

Abstract

The work and legacy of István Kótyuk are indispensable in Transcarpathia. The Department of Philology at the Ferenc Rákóczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian College of Higher Education, which he headed until his death, continues to regard the study and assessment of his life’s work, as well as the further elaboration of certain issues and experiences that preoccupied him, as important tasks. This study focuses primarily on the literary aspects of his oeuvre.

The life path of István Kótyuk, a Transcarpathian philologist and literary translator, is closely intertwined with Hungarian–Ukrainian cultural mediation. This paper examines his personal motivations, placing particular emphasis on statements made in press interviews. These sources make it possible to reconstruct, more or less, how István Kótyuk became involved in literature (he himself published a children’s poetry collection under a pseudonym) and in literary translation. He initially received commissions from Kárpáti Igaz Szó; later, he translated at the request of publishers, and eventually became so devoted to the profession that he undertook numerous translations for his own enjoyment. This is how his most renowned literary translation, Lesia Ukrainka’s The Forest Song (original Ukrainian title: Лісова пісня), was born, for which he received a prestigious award.

Among Kótyuk’s translation principles, the balance between philological fidelity to the original work and adaptation to the target audience stands out. The study shows that he strove to convey Ukrainian cultural elements with precision, while at the same time creating a natural Hungarian linguistic form that would appeal to Hungarian readers. Specific translation decisions are analysed in detail: the rendering of the title (Erdei rege, with its subtle fairy-tale atmosphere, instead of Лісова пісня), the translation and occasional Hungarianization of character names, and the creative adaptation of folklore elements (folk songs, beliefs, motifs) all reinforce the translator’s role as a “cultural bridge”. The study also highlights how Kótyuk renders the work’s stylistic layers — the differences in the characters’ speech patterns, the lyrical and folk registers — in the Hungarian text, thereby preserving the original atmosphere. István Kótyuk is not merely a linguistic mediator: his translation preserves the spirit of the original work while creating a fully-fledged Hungarian-language equivalent.