“It takes a genius to set the tune, and a poet to know how to play variations on it“: Some Remarks on the Irksome (Im)possibility of Editing Shakespeare in Translation

Drawing on the results of the research into the scale and distribution of Polish translation activity with regard to Shakespeare canon in the 19th century, the article offers a discussion of the various roles assumed by both professional and informal (befriended) editors working with Shakespeare translators over time. Understandably enough, the editorial efforts serve to ensure the quality and reception of the text, and range from publisher’s pressure and copyediting to aesthetic (or societal) patronage and complementary efforts to append the text with critical commentary. The article juxtaposes the intimacy of the translation process with the inherently intrusive role of an editor, foregrounding  the fragile psychological balance which pre-conditions effective collaboration and longterm commitment. Finally, the article discusses the need of editorial policies attuned to Shakespeare in translation, which would take into account both the literary intricacy of the original(s) and the specificity of retranslation dialectics, with the necessary positioning of new rewritings against past canon(s).

Drawing on the results of the research into the scale and distribution of Polish translation activity with regard to Shakespeare canon in the 19th century, the article offers a discussion of the various roles assumed by both professional and informal (befriended) editors working with Shakespeare translators over time. Understandably enough, the editorial efforts serve to ensure the quality and reception of the text, and range from publisher’s pressure and copyediting to aesthetic (or societal) patronage and complementary efforts to append the text with critical commentary. The article juxtaposes the intimacy of the translation process with the inherently intrusive role of an editor, foregrounding  the fragile psychological balance which pre-conditions effective collaboration and longterm commitment. Finally, the article discusses the need of editorial policies attuned to Shakespeare in translation, which would take into account both the literary intricacy of the original(s) and the specificity of retranslation dialectics, with the necessary positioning of new rewritings against past canon(s).