A Few Notes on Tibetan to Mongolian Translations

Abstract

Introduction. Translations from Tibetan had been of great importance for the making of Mongolian literature. Translation as cultural phenomenon influenced the shaping of standard Mongolian, gave rise to terminological clusters in different spheres of written language, such as philosophy, medicine, astrology, etc. The principles of translation that had emerged in the period of Buddhism’s dissemination in Mongolia still remain instrumental enough in performing translations from other foreign languages. Translations from Tibetan of historical, hagiographical, narrative and other compositions constituted an essential part in the reading agenda of Mongols to further influence the latter’s culture at large. So, Mongolian literature entered the literary zone of northern Buddhism. Goals. The study seeks to raise a question on delineation — with certain frames and peculiarities — of Mongolian national literature. We should also keep in mind that some parts of literature stay beyond this zone and were only partially influenced by the examined phenomenon — historical literature, recorded (and published) epic narratives, folk ritual literature, etc. Results. Our insight into the complex of various traditions demarcates the originality of medieval literature of Mongols. So, translations from the Tibetan language can be considered as a fact of Mongolian culture, as a special feature in the development of Mongolian written traditions — but not as part of Mongolian literature proper.

Keywords

• theory of literary zones
• mongolian literature
• translation
• tibetan language