Author: Igor Babanov, "Poor Lancelot: prose, translations": This collection reveals to the reader a little-known side of the work of Igor Evgenievich Babanov (1936-1994). An outstanding philologist, an expert on antiquity and a commentator on the classics of world culture appears here as a subtle artist of the word, an original writer and a thoughtful translator of fiction. The book includes the author's early stories, which are ironic and serious, full of subtle literary play and meaningful depth. An unfinished novel about Hoffmann occupies a special place, combining documentary authenticity with a vivid and expressive style. The publication is complemented by an extensive author's commentary, which makes it possible to assess the scale of Babanov's Hoffmaniana. The translation section republishes the humorous stories of Karl Chapek and Rudyard Kipling's fairy tales, works by Babanov from the 1960s to the 1980s, which introduced these works to the Russian—speaking reader for the first time. This book is not only a monument to the master, but also a testament to his outstanding gift: the ability to hear the timeless meanings of culture and convey its voice to the reader through the centuries.