Mikhail Lermontov / Михаил Лермонтов (1814-1841)

[nale.livejournal.com]

I decided to post a couple of poems in Russian here now and then. May be it will be of help to the members of the community, for one cannot overestimate the importance of studying poetry when it comes to learning a foreign language, as not only it helps to remember new words, but also introduces the students to the cultural... blah-blah-blah. :-)

I tried to pick "famous", simple and short ones that don't have many archaisms in them, if any. Bold means stressed. Each piece comes with a word for word translation which kills all the beauty, but can work like a dictionary and thus definitely save you some time and effort. :-) May be others will catch up and post their favourites, too.

Second greatest poet of the XIX century Russia, Mikhail Lermontov / Михаил Лермонтов. Wasn't he handsome, by the way? Although some contemporaries witness that he was hot-tempered, fidgety, bilious and not that nice. May be he was, but I don't think that matters much as his works are really beautiful, sincere, deep, send the right messages and all that. Was killed in a duel being only 27.

УТЁС Ночевала тучка золотая На груди утёса-великана, Утром в путь она умчалась рано, По лазури весело играя; Но остался влажный след в морщине Старого утёса. Одиноко Он стоит, задумался глубоко, И тихонько плачет он в пустыне.	A CLIFF A golden cloud spent a night In a giant cliff's bosom. Early in the morning it flew away, Marrily shimmering in the azure; But there remained its wet trace in the wrinkle Of the old cliff. All alone It stands, deep in thought, And weeps softly in the desert.
* * * Расстались мы, но твой портрет Я на груди моей храню: Как бледный призрак лучших лет, Он душу радует мою. И, новым преданный страстям, Я разлюбить его не мог: Так храм оставленный – всё храм, Кумир поверженный – всё бог!	* * * We parted, but your portrait I (still) keep at my bosom: Like a dim shadow of better years* It gladdens my soul. And, committed to new passions, I could not cease loving it: Thus a temple deserted is still a temple, An idol taken down - still a god. * "Like a pale ghost of better years" - a suggestion made by turgutmakbak. It's addressed to his beloved one. That is - one of them. But you got it, you got it.
БЛАГОДАРНОСТЬ За всё, за всё тебя благодарю я: За тайные мучения страстей, За горечь слёз, отраву поцелуя, За месть врагов и клевету друзей; За жар души, растраченный в пустыне, За всё, чем я обманут в жизни был... Устрой лишь так, чтобы тебя отныне Недолго я ещё благодарил.	GRATITUDE* For all - I thank you for all: For secret torments of passions, For the bitterness of tears, the poison of kiss, For the revenge of enemies and for the slander of friends; For the ardour of my soul, wasted in the desert, For all that betrayed me in this life... Just make it so that from now on I shall not be thanking you long. *That is - to God. I'm giving away the best part - but what if someone misses it?

Any questions, corrections and suggestions on how to make this stupid idea more helpful - are welcome.

Comments

[yers.livejournal.com]

Good idea, good work, and I think we'll need a separate journal for that in the end, russian_wotd-fashion.

Please be careful when you say "this one is not about a cliff and a cloud," etc. Poetry isn't "a metaphor for life". «Утес» is a poem about nature as well as an allegory, and the subtext would be completely banal and cheap, were it not rendered larger-than-life by the imagery of nature.

Once again, I like your idea very much.

Thanks a lot! :)

[nale.livejournal.com]

All right, good point. :)) I'll update the post and delete the note.

The thing is that as I taught Russian literature at school, I found out that students very often just don't get it. :o) And I had to remind them to pay attention to such things.

[yers.livejournal.com]

What grade were they in?

[nale.livejournal.com]

5th grade (that is, 10 y/o) and 7th grade (that is, 13-14 y/o). Of course, those in the 5th grade were just kids, but those in the 7th grade really surprised me.

But I see, I see. Average age here is definitely higher, so I won't be such a bore in the future. :o)

...

[37greenbeans.livejournal.com]

Do keep them coming... love the idea. Thanks

Re: ...

[nale.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[turgutmakbak.livejournal.com]

Maybe "...Like a pale ghost of better years..." ? Or is it too literal?

[nale.livejournal.com]

Sounds great! :) I updated the post - and thank you for participation. :)