Abstract

The proposed article considers the contribution of I.M. Sabashnikov (1855-1931) to the popularization of E. Arnold's work in Russia in the late XIX - early XX century. The features of his verse translation of the poem “The Light of Asia” (1891) are analyzed in detail and compared with the first Russian translation by A.N. Annenskaya (1890). The cases of deviation from the original are noted, caused by both linguistic differences and the translator's desire for Russification and emotional coloring of the text. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the translation of “Buddha's Talk” (1892) and the poem “The Mystery of Death” (1892), as well as Sabashnikov's attempt to translate Arnold's Christian epic “The Light of the World” (1917). The article also analyzes reader responses to the translation of The Light of Asia, in particular, the notes of  N.S. Leskov and D.I. Mendeleev.

Keywords: I.M. Sabashnikov, Edwin Arnold, “Light of Asia”, translation, Russification, Buddhism, Orientalism, N.S. Leskov, D.I. Mendeleev.