Vitiaz' v tigrovoi shkure [Knight in Tiger Skin]

Shota Rustaveli is the greatest Georgian poet who lived at the turn of the 12th-13th centuries, during the time of Queen Tamara, the author of the epic poem The Knight in the Panther's Skin. This is the only work of Rustaveli that has survived to this day. The poem has been translated into dozens of languages, and only in Russian there are five complete translations of it, the best of which is recognized as the translation of N. A. Zabolotsky, presented in this publication. 'Rustaveli does not need our praise,' writes Zabolotsky, 'because time and people have made his book immortal. Nor does he need an apology when the moral characteristics of his characters diverge from our own ideals. But Rustaveli needs explanation and interpretation. It is necessary that the Russian reader, who is not familiar with the peculiarities of Georgian history and culture, perceive Rustaveli's poem in its entirety.' And the merits of Zabolotsky himself in this regard can hardly be overestimated.