Translating poetry is one of the most challenging tasks facing the linguist. The late Dr. Charles Moser was head of the Slavic Language Department at George Washington University where he translated these Russian and Bulgarian poems.
The soft-spoken scholar, was married to Dr. Anastasia Dimitrova-Moser who, until recently served as an elected member of the Bulgarian Parliament. Her father, Dr. G.M. Dimitrov had founded the Agrarian Political Party in Bulgaria after the second World War to help rebuild his war-torn homeland, but was exiled when the Soviets marched in and threatened him with death. Forced to flee, he came to Washington, DC to carry on his work. He died here in 1972.
When the Soviet Union crumbled, Dr. Dimitrov's daughter returned to Sofia to carry on her father's work with the Agrarian Party and was elected to Parliament in her own right. Whenever parliament was not in session Dr. Dimitrova-Moser returned to Washington to rejoin her husband.
Dr. Charles Moser passed away in Sofia in 2006. He is buried in Washington, DC next to his father-in-law.
His widow also spends most of her time Washington now, but, with access to the World Wide Web, she is never far from her beloved homeland.
Ron David
The following poems were translated for us by Dr. Charles Moser
A Poem by Elisaveta Bagryana (1893 - 1991)
"No One Has Replaced You"
Three Poems by Atanas Dalchev (1904 - 1978)
"Backyards"
"Silence"
"The Cuckoo"
Two Poems by Blaga Dimitrova (1922 - 1981)
"The Old Man and the World"
"Rehabilitation"
A Poem by Pyotr Viazemskii (1792 - 1878)
"Autumn 1830"
Two Poems by Boris Pasternak 1880 - 1960
"Evil Days"
"The Garden of Gethesmane"
All poem were read and published here by Ron David
as a tribute to Dr. Moser's memory
