ДА ЛИ ЈЕ КОМПОЗИТОР ПЕТАР КОЊОВИЋ ПРЕВОДИО ПЕСМЕ ШАНДОРА ПЕТЕФИЈА?

Abstract

The question posed in the title of this short literary-historical contribution has been present for a long time in the known translators’ bibliographies and poems of Aleksandar Petőfi translated into Serbian. The question specifically refers to the Serbian translations of two Petőfi’s poems: “Kakvim žarom...” and “Srećan je...”, signed with the initials P. K. and published in 1898 in the 21st issue of the Belgrade literary magazine “Iskra”, on page 328. An unknown bibliographer attributed the initials to composer P(etar) K(onjović), but with the question mark next to it. The author of this article answers negatively to this, pointing instead, and with good reason, to the actual translator: today forgotten actor, playwright and author Petar Krstonošić, in whose estate the author found the translation of Petőfi’s poem “Kakvim žarom...” with the written melody from his play, which is included in the article as evidence.