Alfonsas Bukontas (born September 11, 1941) is a Lithuanian poet, translator, publicist.
His Jewish parents were killed during the Holocaust and he was saved by the family of Marija and Jeronimas Bukontas, peasants of the village, MaÃ
¾eikiai district, recognized among the Lithuianian Righteous Among the Nations in 1995. His father was arrested in 1945 and died in a labor camp in 1948. Alfonsas and his mother went into hiding and avoided deportation. His collection of poems DapÃ
¡iu kelio zlatvyslÃÂs ("Bog Lights of the DapÃ
¡iai Road") is reminiscences associated with the village.
In 1964 he graduated in Lithuanian philology from the Vilnius University. After that he worked as a teacher, in various publishing outlets, and edited some magazines. His poems were translated in several languages.
Publications
- SlenkanÃÂios kopos. Vilnius: Vaga, 1967. Poems.
- PieÃ
¡iniai ant vandens. Vilnius: Vaga, 1972. Poems.
- MÃÂnulio takas. Vilnius: Vaga, 1977. Poems.
- ÃÂþúð ûõÃÂøàÃÂÃÂÃÂõûð. ÃÂþÃÂúòð: áþòõÃÂÃÂúøù ÿøÃÂðÃÂõûÃÂ, 1990. . Poetry.
- Penktas metÃ
³ laikas. Vilnius: Vaga, 1997. A collection.
- PirÃ
¡tÃ
³ atspaudai. Vilnius: Tyto alba, 2011. 100 poems.
- DapÃ
¡iÃ
³ kelio Ã
¾altvykslÃÂs. Vilnius: Petro ofsetas, 2014. Poetry.
Awards
- 1979 S. Ã
 imkus award () of 1st degree for the text for Salve, Alma Mater.
- 1993 Award of P. GauÃÂys for the best literary translation into Lithuanian.
- 2000 for poetry book Penktas metÃ
³ laikas, and translations of Bhagavadgita, Lev Karsavin, Moyshe Kulbak.
- 2001 Award during Poetry Spring festival for poetry translations into Lithuanian language.
- 2018: Medal of the Order for Merits to Lithuania
References