Translation as subversion and subjugation: Sándor Petőfi’s “Liberty and Love” in China

This paper considers a rare yet meaningful case of poetry translation where one historically well-circulated piece becomes identified with a native creation with the change of time. Upon introduction to a revolutionizing China, the renowned Hungarian poet Sándor Petőfi’s poetry was celebrated as an exemplar of patriotic verse and was fervently accepted and reacted to as a resounding battle call. Efforts to introduce the poet’s works to Chinese readers were pioneered by the country’s progressive writers and leading intellectuals of the time under the auspices of renowned publishers. Since China embarked on its modernization journey, the motive of seeking historical relevance of literary works has been receding into the background, resulting in a dwindling zeal for revolution-themed works. Petőfi’s most widely memorized piece “Liberty and Love” started to receive alternative interpretations that gradually undermined its historical reading and obscured its genuine authorship, thus working to subvert and subjugate the original. Drawing from documented sources and published literature, the paper presents various Chinese translations of the famous lines and, in a comparative analysis, seeks possible explanations for the sweeping preference for a more domesticated yet less faithful version. To account for the changes in the interpretation and evaluation of the preferred translation, the paper then explores the linguistic factors that may have played a part in shaping the poem’s translation and reception among Chinese readers. In summarizing the major findings of the case study, the paper further reflects on the role of language in the translation of literary works and how it may serve to shape the landscape of world literature. This focused analysis aims to help demystify the Hungarian poet’s less well-understood popularity among Chinese readers. Going beyond the analysis of a particularistic case, the discussion offers implications for weaving the precious lines from minoritized languages into the rich tapestry of world literature.