Розглянуто фоніку, семантику, образність, віршовий лад верлібрового архітвору Лесі Українки "Уривки з листа" в контексті можливості його перекладу англійською мовою. Визначено, що гекзаметричний принцип Лесиного верлібру спонукає перекладача звертатися як до спільних для обох мов (інверсія, внутрішня рима, алітерація, асонанс), так і до характерних для англійського поетичного мовлення чинників (специфічний синтаксис, лексика, фразові дієслова як синоніми українських однокомпонентних дієслів різного стилю).
The article shows the possible ways to interpret Lesya Ukrayinka"s vers libre "Fragments of a Letter," regarding the relevance of free forms in contemporary poetry. There was shown that, having worked over the translations of ancient Egyptian poems and Vedic hymns, Lesya Ukrayinka definitely elaborated her own style of free versification identified by the following features: using the various three-syllable feet, first of all dactyl and anapest, artistic synthesis and intertextuality. Lesya"s free verse works - either with the certain genre markers, like "Uryvky z lysta" (Fragments of a Letter), "Melodiyi, ?. 12" (Melodies, Part 12), "Zorya poeziyi: Improvizaciya" (The Star of the Poetry: Improvisation), or without them, like "Vesna zymova" (&Spring in Winter), "Ave Regina!", "Zav?dy ternovyj vinec"..." (The Crown of Thorns Will Always Be...) - are characterized by the interactions of lyric, epic, and dramatic initials on the ground of philosophical outlook, mostly the binary opposition "&freedom / slavery". Upon observing Lesya Ukrayinka"s mature lyrics, it can be evident that all aforementioned elements are present in probably the most famous of her free verses, "Uryvky z lysta" (Fragments of a Letter, 1897), included into the cycle& "Kryms"ki vidhuky" (Crimean Echoes). As the textologists evidenced, this poem had got its title because of the significant eliminations from the initial text. On the other hand, this means should be classified as "non-finito" figure, which would fur&thermore permit us to claim the genre of a fragment as a typical form of contemporary free verse. Consequently, the image of a speaker in "Fragments..." appears to be not only the author"s alter ego, but also an expresser of an idea of liberated crea&tion. That is why "Fragments..." should be translated, considering the means of both Ukrainian and English poetic speech together with the specifications of Lesya"s free-verse style.
