O niektórych właściwościach przekładu Księgi Koheleta Marcina Bielskiego

Abstract

The translation of the Book of Ecclesiastes by Marcin Bielski was published in 1554 as the second Polish translation of this Old Testament book published in print. It is undoubtedly an independent work, and its author reached beyond any doubt for the Hebrew text. It cannot be ruled out, however, that Bielski confronted his translation with the Vulgate. In his work he introduced minor modifications and reduced the content of some verses. He probably did it in order to adapt his translation to the Polish reader. Bielski limited the rhetoric of his translation, which was reflected in the reductions and elimination of even a characteristic hebel. At the same time, he tried to give his translation the most careful form, taking care of its stylistic correctness and aesthetics. Further research on this document will surely make it possible to read its translation and literary value more thoroughly, which will allow for a more complete understanding of the sixteenth-century translations of biblical books in Poland.