Shahla Naghiyeva, a Fullbright scholar, and her husband, Hasanov Musallim are visiting ECU from Azerbaijan.  She was born in Shamkir, a district of Azerbaijan, but lives in Baku, the country's capital.  Shahla received her education at the Azerbaijan University of Languages, where she currently works.  Shala arrived in the US in September of 2003.  Upon her arrival, Shahla began a collaborative effort with Julie Faye and Peter Makuck -- translating poems from her native home of Azerbaijan into the English language.  Her husband, Hasanov Musallim Gaman, joined her here shortly after her arrival and has been working on producing a documentary film on American life.   His previous doumentary films include: People Stepping on the Way of Thunder (2003) about the activities of a student organization opposed to Stalin's regime in 1948, and A Gloomy Fall of 1963 (2003) about the struggle of the people against starvation in 1963.  Soviet KGB archive materials and interviews of the witnesses have been used in both of the films.  He currently is head writer for the state-owned newspaper Bizim Asr and makes documentary films for the "Lider,"  the state-owned TV channel.  Shahla and Hasanov will be departing on March of 2004 to return to their country.  I spoke to her in the reading room in Joyner Library, about her experiences here at ECU and her plans for the future.

TCR: Tell us a little about your background.

Naghiyeva:  Even from my childhood, I have had interest towards literature – generally literature of my own language.  When I was a pupil in secondary school, I wrote poems that published in the local newspaper.  When I entered the University of languages I learned the English language.  I had great interest in English.  Mainly I went into translation of English and American literature into Azerbaijani.  American poetry into my own language into my own language was much easier to translate because I was a native speaker and poetical feeling and ideas translated easy into my own language.  At University I published several poetry translations from Byron, Shelley, Frost and others.  I decided to do research.  In 1997, I defended my dissertation, entitled "The Meaning of National Color In the Poetry Translation From Azerbaijani to English."  American professors visiting my own University played a great role in helping me to translate.  I was curious about whether these translations sounded like native poets to their ears.  I developed my research in this field and at last I decided to be in an English environment.  I applied to the Fullbright Scholar program.  Since I have been here, my University experience has been very productive.  I have published a book entitled Special Names as a Means of National Color.  I have prepared three professional articles and presented them to be published.  I have done many poetry translations since I have been here.  I have been collaborating with Julie Faye and Peter Makuck.  They have been very helpful.  I benefited much from their help.

TCR:  Was the transition to life in the United States difficult?

Naghiyeva:  Being in an Azerbaijani environment I had little difficulty with translation.  I had quite a different view.  I had some trouble translating my poetry into English while trying to maintain all outer appearance and national color.  But, mainly in our language, syllabic verse form prevails.  I tried to translate the syllabic verse forms exactly into English as it was in my native language.  As soon as I arrived here I felt the poetical American environment, contemporary poetry, I got advice from my American collaborators – I changed my mind.  I decided mainly to translate using free verse.  It is much easier.  You can be more faithful to the piece.  When you take out matching the syllables and the timing of each line it is not that noticeable to a native speaker.

TCR:  Do you find that the poetry loses, or gains anything in translation?  Or does it become something completely new?

Naghiyeva: Using syllabic verse form encounters three versions.  One of them is transferring the poem and losing rhyme but maintaining meaning.  The second is translating into English but losing everything in exact translation: meaning, reason, and rhyme.  Third version is you can do it crafting the meaning of the poem and recreating it in the English language.  From this point of view to be faithful to the original meaning, trying to maintain rhythm and internal rhyming is important wherever possible.  You can say that you can have the same poem as the original.  It is unavoidable to lose national color, partially.  You can maintain part of it.  But, it is unavoidable to lose part of it.

TCR:  Do you have any favorite poets, either Azerbaijani or English?

Naghiyeva: Yes, my favorite Azerbaijani poet is Bakhiyar Vahabzadeh.  I also like Robert Frost.

TCR:I understand that your husband is creating some documentaries.  Could you speak a little about that?

Naghiyeva:  From the very beginning of his arrival here, as a Muslim journalist and as a foreign journalist, he has been interested in aspects of American life.  He decided to produce a documentary on American life.  Thanks to the school, they have provided us with a camera and cameraman.  We have been able to realize our project. We have already shot a lot of footage from certain aspects of healthcare and other different places.  It will go on until our departure.  He is a screenwriter and he works at one of the major television channels back home.   As soon as we our back he will edit and produce the documentaries for them.

TCR: How important and helpful was the process of collaboration here at ECU?

Naghiyeva: It was much important.  When we collaborate with poets and poetry translators from native speakers of a language we benefit.  When I translated English poetry into my native language I maintained the meaning in a poetical way.  But my collaborators polished my poetry translations and made my translations smoother and made the poems sound smoother to the native speakers.