Saturday, December 30, 2006

Winter Evening

By Alexander Pushkin

The storm covers the sky with darkness,
Snow circles in whirling eddies;
Now it howls, like a wild beast,
Now it cries, like a lost child,
Now it whistles sharply
Through the decaying thatch on the roof,
Now, like a traveller overdue,
It knocks upon our window pane.

In our decrepit little cottage
It's gloomy and it's dark.
Granny, why do you sit so, close to the window
And wrapped so deep in silence?
Has the howling of the storm
Wearied you at last, dear friend?
Or have you been lulled into sleep
By the drone of your spinning wheel?

Let's drink, dearest friend,
Drink to my poor youth.
Let's drink from grief - Where's the glass?
Our hearts will be merry.
Sing me a song about a bluetit
Peacefully dwelling across the sea.
Sing me a song about a young girl
Going to fetch water in the morning.

The storm covers the sky with darkness,
Snow circles in whirling eddies;
Now it howls, like a wild beast,
Now it cries, like a lost child;
Let's drink, dearest friend,
Drink to my poor youth.
Let's drink from grief - Where's the glass?
Our hearts will be merry.

Зимний Вечер

Буря мглою небо кроет,
Вихри снежние крутя;
То как звер, она завоет,
То заплачет как дитя,
То по кровле обветшалой
Вдруг соломой зашумит,
То, как путник запоздалый,
К нам в окошко застучит.

Наша ветхая лачужка
И печальна, и темна.
Что ж ты, моя старушка,
Приумолкла у окна?
ИЛи бури завыванъем
Ты, мой друг, утомлена,
Или дремлешь под жужжанем
Своего веретена?

Выпьем, добрая подружка
Бедной юности моей,
Выпьем с горя: где же кружка?
Серцу будет веселей.
Спой мне песню, как синица
Тихо за морем жила;
Спой мне песню, как девица
За водной по утру шла.

Буря мглою небо кроет,
Вихри снежние крутя;
То как звер, она завоет,
То заплачет как дитя,
Выпьем, добрая подружка
Бедной юности моей,
Выпьем с горя: где же кружка?
Серцу будет веселей.

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3 Comments:

At 9:43 AM, August 01, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous had this to say...

Your translation is beautiful. I've been surfing the Web looking for and comparing translations of "Winter Evening"--for a comparative literature essay that I'm writing on Pushkin and the Japanese haiku poet Issa.


Can I have your permission to use your translation in the article? And, if so, how would you like to be credited?

(When it's published I promise to let you know where, and I'll send you a copy if you like).

take care,

David in New Orleans

 
At 11:39 AM, August 01, 2007 Blogger The Ridger, FCD had this to say...

I'd be honored. I'm leery of posting my actual name on the web - not that it would be all that hard for someone to find out, but I like to maintain a semblance of anonymity so I don't get associated with my employer, you know? At any rate, if you use the email at the top of the page to reach me I'll let you know how I'd like to be credited.

 
At 2:21 PM, August 07, 2007 Anonymous Anonymous had this to say...

I've finished the essay and would like to send it to a journal this week. Since I haven't heard from you, I guess I'd better use the Walter Arndt translation from "Pushkin Threefold." Yours is better, though, I think.

I'll hold off until Friday, then I really need to get this into the mail. Next week meetings and classes start at my university.

take care,

David

 

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