Watson Kirkconnell
Encyclopedia
Watson Kirkconnell, was a Canadian
scholar, university administrator and translator. He is well known in Iceland
, Eastern and Central Europe and among Canadians of different origins for his translations of their national poetry, particularly the Hungarians, Ukrainians
, Russians
, Serbians
, Croatians, and many others. He collaborated with the most distinguished scholars and academics of his time in perfecting the translations. One of his most remarkable translations is The Bards of Wales
, a poem of Hungarian poet János Arany
. After World War II, he wrote a poem about General Dragoljub Mihailovich and how the Communists had him killed on trumped up charges on July 17, 1946. That killing solidified the brutal Communist rule in Yugoslavia for the next four decades which resulted in the ultimate breakup of the artificial, former Communist state.
From 1948 to 1964, he was the ninth President of Acadia University
. He was also on the short list for the prestigious Nobel Prize
on numerous occasions.
In 1968, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
"for his services at home and abroad as an educator, scholar and writer". In 1936, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
scholar, university administrator and translator. He is well known in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, Eastern and Central Europe and among Canadians of different origins for his translations of their national poetry, particularly the Hungarians, Ukrainians
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
, Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
, Serbians
Serbians
Serbians may refer to people who are identified with the country of Serbia, or people of the Serb ethnic group.However it could also be used as the translation of Serbian word "Србијанци" , especially when distinction is made between the two...
, Croatians, and many others. He collaborated with the most distinguished scholars and academics of his time in perfecting the translations. One of his most remarkable translations is The Bards of Wales
The Bards of Wales
The Bards of Wales is a ballad by Hungarian poet János Arany, written in 1857. Alongside the Toldi trilogy it is one of his most important works....
, a poem of Hungarian poet János Arany
János Arany
János Arany , was a Hungarian journalist, writer, poet, and translator. He is often said to be the "Shakespeare of ballads" – he wrote more than 40 ballads which have been translated into over 50 languages, as well as the Toldi trilogy, to mention his most famous works.-Biography:He was born in...
. After World War II, he wrote a poem about General Dragoljub Mihailovich and how the Communists had him killed on trumped up charges on July 17, 1946. That killing solidified the brutal Communist rule in Yugoslavia for the next four decades which resulted in the ultimate breakup of the artificial, former Communist state.
From 1948 to 1964, he was the ninth President of Acadia University
Acadia University
Acadia University is a predominantly undergraduate university located in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada with some graduate programs at the master's level and one at the doctoral level...
. He was also on the short list for the prestigious Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
on numerous occasions.
In 1968, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
"for his services at home and abroad as an educator, scholar and writer". In 1936, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
.
External links
- János Arany: Bards of Wales - translated by Watson Kirkconnell
- They’ve Walled up Every Window ... - One of Tibor TollasTibor TollasTibor Tollas was a Hungarian poet, chief editor of the newspaper Nemzetőr.-Life:He was born in Nagybarca, Hungary on 21 December 1920...
's poems in English, translated by Watson Kirkconnell - Watson Kirkconnell and the "Undoing of Babel": a Little-Known Case in Canadian Translation History
- Watson Kirkconnell at The Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian Encyclopedia is a source of information on Canada. It is available online, at no cost. The Canadian Encyclopedia is available in both English and French and includes some 14,000 articles in each language on a wide variety of subjects including history, popular culture, events, people,...