University of János Selye

History of the English Literature

(Dejiny anglickej literatúry- DAL1)

William Shakespeare
The tempest

Made by:
Erika Vizvary
Aj-Mj
2009/2010
 Introduction

First of all, I have chosen this work of William Shakespeare, because I like it. What I
like in this drama is the speech of the common men (e.g. Boatswain, Caliban, Trinculo,
Stephano), because they dont't want to hide their emotions like the noble men, who usually
use a formal language. This common people always say what is on their heart. This way of
talking is used in the hungarian translation too. While the noble characters use normal
expressions, the common characters use rough words between each other. This could be very
entertaining and funny. Another humorous thing is that most of them speak very modestly to
their master, but when they think that their master doesn't hear them, they curse them. Except
of these I like this drama because it has happy ending.
I am going to compare the english version, with the hungarian translations made by
Babits Mihály, and Mészöly Dezső.

The tempest- A vihar

I have chosen several parts of the drama. I have written them below, and explain my
opinion of them. The title had been translated by Babits and Mészöly in the same way. (A
vihar) In the end I have written my conclusions.

MIRANDA
O, wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,
That has such people in't!
(V. 1.)

MIRANDA:
Nagy Isten! Mennyi gyönyörű teremtés!
De szép az ember! Boldog új világ,
Hol ilyen nép lakik!
(Mészöly Dezső)

MIRANDA:
Hány kedves arcot látok itt! Be szépek
Az emberek! Ó, drága új világ.
Amelyben ilyen nép van!
(Babits Mihály)

In my opinion, the translation of Mészöly is closer to the english. In the beginning there
is an exclamation: O, wonder! This is missing in Babits text. Mészöly uses: Nagy Isten!
However it has different meaning, but in hungarian language this form is rather used. We do
not say Ó csoda! In Shakespeare's text is written goodly creatures. The word goodly means
nice, pretty. Mészöly writes gyönyörű, which means beautiful, and this is stronger expression.
Babits uses szépek, which is closer to goodly. He writes faces (arcok), while in the english
version is creatures.
PROSPERO: PROSPERO:
. We are such stuff Egész valónk
As dreams are made on, and our little life Csak álmok szövete; s kis életünk
Is rounded with a sleep. Egy álom koronázza meg.
(IV. 1.) (Mészöly Dezső)
PROSPERO:
Olyan szövetből
Vagyunk, mint álmaink, s kis életünk
Álomba van kerítve.
(Babits Mihály)

In this case, the translation of Babits Mihály is closer to the english work. The writer
explains, that our dreams are made of dreams, and are rounded by them. Mészöly says, that
our life is a net of dreams, and it is crowned by a dream.

MIRANDA
I am a fool
To weep at what I am glad of.
(III.1)
MIRANDA: MIRANDA:
Én bolond: Én bolond,
Csak könnyezem, pedig boldog vagyok. Sirok, pedig örülök.
(Mészöly Dezső) (Babits Mihály)

This time the text of Babits Mihály seems to be everyday, while the other is more
literarly. The world könnyezem, is softer expression, as sírok. The first means that my tears
are falling, and the second, that I am crying. So there is a difference in the strenght of the act
of weeping. I think it is big different if someone is crying or just his/her tears are falling.

FERDINAND
Admired Miranda!
Indeed the top of admiration! worth
What's dearest to the world! Full many a lady
I have eyed with best regard and many a time
The harmony of their tongues hath into bondage
Brought my too diligent ear: for several virtues
Have I liked several women; never any
With so fun soul, but some defect in her
Did quarrel with the noblest grace she owed
And put it to the foil: but you, O you,
So perfect and so peerless, are created
Of every creature's best!
(III.1.)
FERDINAND:
Miranda!
Csodálandó! Úgy van: csodák csodája!
a világ kincse föl nem ér veled!
Sok hölgyre néztem lelkesült szemekkel;
Sok női hangnak édes dallama
Bűvölte rabbá túl mohó fülem;
Százféle báj százféleképp igézett;
De bárhogy eltelt lelkem gyönyörrel,
Egy csepp kis szeplő perbe szállt a vággyal
S legyőzte végül. Csak te, csak te vagy
Szeplőtlen és páratlan a világon:
Teremtés gyöngyszeme!
(Mészöly Dezső)
FERDINAND:
Ah! Miranda:
Csodálandó! Bizony, csodák csodája,
Kincsek kincsére méltó! Sok leányt
Néztem én jó szemekkel; sokszor ajkuk
Harmóniája nagyon is figyelmes
Fülem rabbá igézte: új meg új
Szépséggel bűvölt mind;de egy se bűvölt
Annyira teljes lelkemig, hogy egy kis
Hibája legszebb bájával ne küzdjön
S azt meg ne rontsa. Ó, te csak, te oly
Tökéletes, páratlan, a teremtés
Javából vagy teremtve.
(Babits Mihály)

Both of the two translations are close to the english text. The differences are again, in
the use of words. Mészöly Dezső uses the expression hölgy, which is equal to word lady. This
is the way of speaking polite, and noble. Babits uses leány, but it means rather girls. I think it
is general, and not so noble. Maybe he want to express, that those women were not so
important to Ferdinand, and he did not look at them as on noble ladies. Shakespeare uses the
word perfect to express Miranda's speciality. Mészöly uses word szeplőtlen, but this word
means, that she has no sins. While Babits uses tökéletes= perfect. When someone is perfect it
contains that, he/she is good in everything, not just that he/she has no sins.

CALIBAN
Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices
That, if I then had waked after long sleep,
Will make me sleep again: and then, in dreaming,
The clouds methought would open and show riches
Ready to drop upon me that, when I waked,
I cried to dream again.
(III.2.)
CALIBAN:
Ne félj: a sziget hangoktól zsibong;
Száz mézes dallam bódít, - s egy se bánt.
Olykor riad s ezerszám szól a szerszám:
Cseng-bong fülembe... Máskor ének ébreszt,
De oly finom, hogy mély alvás után
Megint álomba ringat – s mintha fönn
Egy felhő nyílna, telve drágakinccsel...
Már majd' ölembe hull...De ébredek –
És sírok: mért nem álmodom tovább!
(Mészöly Dezső)
CALIBAN:
Ne félj: e sziget telisteli hanggal,
Mézes dallal, mulattat és nem árt.
Száz zengő szernek zúg fülembe olykor
Zenebonája; máskor ringató dal,
Bár hosszú alvásból eszméltem éppen,
Elaltat újra: és álmomba megnyíl
A felhő, látom kincsek záporát
Leesni készen: és ébredve sírok
S megint álmodni vágyom.
(Babits Mihály)

When talking about the island Caliban says that the noisis do not hurt. Mészöly picks
out this, and separate it from the sentence. I think he wanted to emphasis, that the island is
safe. He tought it important because he wanted to tell the reader, that this is not a tragical
story.

FERDINAND:
This music crept by me upon the waters,
Allaying both their fury and my passion
With its sweet air: thence I have follow'd it,
Or it hath drawn me rather. But 'tis gone.
No, it begins again.
(I.2.)
FERDINÁND: FERDINÁND:
Úszott felém a hang a víz felett, És jött felém a hang a víz felől,
Bánatnak és haboknak fodrait Viznek és búnak habjait simítva
Mézes dallal simítva el...Követtem... Mézes ütemmel: s én a hang után
Vagy inkább vont a dallam...Vége van. Jöttem, vagy inkább vont a hang: de vége.-
Nem, ujra szólal! Nem, újrakezdi.
(Mészöly Dezső) (Babits Mihály)

Where Shakespeare says, that the music came, both of the translations use the hungarian
word hang, which means voice. The music has its air in english version, but in hungarian we
cannot say this, so the voice is compared to a song, and they wrote, that Ferdinand heard the
music of the voice. Mészöly Dezső uses the word habok to describe the water. This was used
in the old version of the hungarian language, and in literary works.

PROSPERO:
. But this rough magic
I here abjure, and, when I have required
Some heavenly music, which even now I do,
To work mine end upon their senses that
This airy charm is for, I'll break my staff,
Bury it certain fathoms in the earth,
And deeper than did ever plummet sound
I'll drown my book.
(V.1.)
PROSPERO:
S mind e vad varázst
Most elvetem. Mégegyszer – és utolszor-
Idézem a magasságok zenéjét –
Zengj, égi dallam, töltsd be lelkünket! –
És aztán – vége: pálcám eltöröm,
Jó ölre ásom el a föld alá –
S mélyebbre, mint a mérő ón hatol –
Tengerbe rejtem könyvemet.
(Mészöly Dezső)
PROSPERO:
S mind e durva bűbájt
Megtagadom ma: még utolszor égi
Zenét igézek (égi zene, zengj!)
E nyomorultak szellemére, célom
Elérni: s aztán pálcám eltöröm,
Több ölre ásom föld alá, s a tenger
Mérőlánc által eddig el nem ért
Mélyébe hányom könyvemet.
(Babits Mihály)

The rough magic is interpreted in different ways. In one version there is wild magic
(vad varázs), and in another rough charm. If we wanted to be precise, we should translate it
like durva varázs, but I do not want to criticise the translators, because both of versions are
good. The heavenly music is called to sound again. Babits Mihály solve this with round
brackets. It has an effect, like Prospero had to talk out of the text. So this words are not told to
the reader, but to heavens. Mészöly Dezső uses dashes (-...-) for this aim.

PROSPERO:
Gentle breath of yours my sails
Must fill, or else my project fails,
Which was to please.
(epilogue)
PROSPERO: PROSPERO:
S a szívből szálló sóhajon Lágy lehetek röpítse vásznam,
Repüljön célba jó hajóm... Másképp nehéz célt nem hibáznom.
Tetszés volt célom. Célom a tetszés volt.
(Mészöly Dezső) (Babits Mihály)

These examles I have put here, because here we can feel the difference between the two
translations. Both are hungarian, but we can see the differences between the two forms of
expressions. In this case I like the version of Mészöly Dezső.

PROSPERO:
Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits and
Are melted into air, into thin air:
And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Ye all which it inherit, shall dissolve
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind.
(IV.1.)
PROSPERO:
A játék véget ért. – Mondtam, hogy így lesz. –
Szinészeim tündérek voltak és
Köddé foszlottak újra, könnyü köddé...
És mint e semmiből szőtt látomás:
A felhő-kámzsás tornyok, büszke várak,
Szent templomok, s e roppant Glóbusz is,
Tenger népével köddé foszlik egyszer –
Akár az én illó szinházam – elvész:
Szilánkja sem marad.
(Mészöly Dezső)

PROSPERO:
Már ünnepünknek vége. E szinészek
Szellemek voltak, mondtam, szellemek,
S a légbe tűntek, lenge légbe tűntek:
És mint e látás páraváza, majdan
A felhősipkás tornyok, büszke várak,
Szent templomok, s e nagy golyó maga,
S vele minden lakósa, szertefoszlik,
S mint e ködpompa tűnt anyagtalan,
Nyomot, romot se hágy.
(Babits Mihály)

Here we can find again two wariations for comment. Shakespeare uses commas:
„...These our actors, As I foretold you, were...“. Babits Mihály have done the same, while
Mészöly Dezső have picked out it with dashes. In my opinion he did it like that, because he
wanted to emphasis, that Prospero had the power to foresee, what would happen. He is
godlike, because the thinks on the island are happen like he wants.

Conclusion

As I have red the two translations, I noted some differences. The translation of Mészöly
Dezső was more literary. He uses more metaphorical expressions. These make the text more
pompous. If a simple reader wants to read his translation, he could find it difficult to
understand. The other translation, that from Babits Mihály, is more understandable. He did
not use so difficult metaphores. The speech of the characters is more common and simple. In
my opinion, the work of Babits Mihály stands closer to the english drama.
On basis of the above- mentioned I think, that the translation of Mészöly Dezső would
be interesting for those who have upper education, and enjoy the metaphores. The work of
Babits Mihály could be for anyone who has not read so many books, and his/her aim is just to
entertain. It does not mean that the translation of Babits is worse. It is a very good one.
However we do not have to forgot, that we cannot translate texts from word to word.
Each language has its own rules and traditions. While translating we have to think about
these, if we want to create something good. We have to use that kind of expressions, that
would understand every man in our country, and not just the few ones, who are writers too.
Naturally, it depends on to what social class we want to write or translate.