'Tis a Madonna of Vandyk,
An oval countenance and pink,
Yon silly moon upon the brink
Of the horizon she is like!
An oval countenance and pink,
Yon silly moon upon the brink
Of the horizon she is like!
Pushkin - Eugene Oneigin
"
III
Whilst homeward by the nearest route
Our heroes at full gallop sped,
Can we not stealthily make out
What they in conversation said? --
"How now, Oneguine, yawning still? "--
"'Tis habit, Lenski. "--"Is your ill
More troublesome than usual? "--"No!
How dark the night is getting though!
Hallo, Andriushka, onward race!
The drive becomes monotonous--
Well! Larina appears to us
An ancient lady full of grace. --
That bilberry wine, I'm sore afraid,
The deuce with my inside has played. "
IV
"Say, of the two which was Tattiana? "
"She who with melancholy face
And silent as the maid Svetlana(30)
Hard by the window took her place. "--
"The younger, you're in love with her! "
"Well! "--"I the elder should prefer,
Were I like you a bard by trade--
In Olga's face no life's displayed.
'Tis a Madonna of Vandyk,
An oval countenance and pink,
Yon silly moon upon the brink
Of the horizon she is like! "--
Vladimir something curtly said
Nor further comment that night made.
[Note 30: "Svetlana," a short poem by Joukovski, upon which his
fame mainly rests. Joukovski was an unblushing plagiarist. Many
eminent English poets have been laid under contribution by him,
often without going through the form of acknowledging the
source of inspiration. Even the poem in question cannot be
pronounced entirely original, though its intrinsic beauty is
unquestionable. It undoubtedly owes its origin to Burger's poem
"Leonora," which has found so many English translators. Not
content with a single development of Burger's ghastly production
the Russian poet has directly paraphrased "Leonora" under its
own title, and also written a poem "Liudmila" in imitation of it.
The principal outlines of these three poems are as follows: A
maiden loses her lover in the wars; she murmurs at Providence
and is vainly reproved for such blasphemy by her mother.
Providence at length loses patience and sends her lover's spirit,
to all appearances as if in the flesh, who induces the unfortunate
maiden to elope. Instead of riding to a church or bridal chamber
the unpleasant bridegroom resorts to the graveyard and repairs to
his own grave, from which he has recently issued to execute his
errand. It is a repulsive subject. "Svetlana," however, is more
agreeable than its prototype "Leonora," inasmuch as the whole
catastrophe turns out a dream brought on by "sorcery," during the
"sviatki" or Holy Nights (see Canto V. st. x), and the dreamer
awakes to hear the tinkling of her lover's sledge approaching.
"Svetlana" has been translated by Sir John Bowring.
III
Whilst homeward by the nearest route
Our heroes at full gallop sped,
Can we not stealthily make out
What they in conversation said? --
"How now, Oneguine, yawning still? "--
"'Tis habit, Lenski. "--"Is your ill
More troublesome than usual? "--"No!
How dark the night is getting though!
Hallo, Andriushka, onward race!
The drive becomes monotonous--
Well! Larina appears to us
An ancient lady full of grace. --
That bilberry wine, I'm sore afraid,
The deuce with my inside has played. "
IV
"Say, of the two which was Tattiana? "
"She who with melancholy face
And silent as the maid Svetlana(30)
Hard by the window took her place. "--
"The younger, you're in love with her! "
"Well! "--"I the elder should prefer,
Were I like you a bard by trade--
In Olga's face no life's displayed.
'Tis a Madonna of Vandyk,
An oval countenance and pink,
Yon silly moon upon the brink
Of the horizon she is like! "--
Vladimir something curtly said
Nor further comment that night made.
[Note 30: "Svetlana," a short poem by Joukovski, upon which his
fame mainly rests. Joukovski was an unblushing plagiarist. Many
eminent English poets have been laid under contribution by him,
often without going through the form of acknowledging the
source of inspiration. Even the poem in question cannot be
pronounced entirely original, though its intrinsic beauty is
unquestionable. It undoubtedly owes its origin to Burger's poem
"Leonora," which has found so many English translators. Not
content with a single development of Burger's ghastly production
the Russian poet has directly paraphrased "Leonora" under its
own title, and also written a poem "Liudmila" in imitation of it.
The principal outlines of these three poems are as follows: A
maiden loses her lover in the wars; she murmurs at Providence
and is vainly reproved for such blasphemy by her mother.
Providence at length loses patience and sends her lover's spirit,
to all appearances as if in the flesh, who induces the unfortunate
maiden to elope. Instead of riding to a church or bridal chamber
the unpleasant bridegroom resorts to the graveyard and repairs to
his own grave, from which he has recently issued to execute his
errand. It is a repulsive subject. "Svetlana," however, is more
agreeable than its prototype "Leonora," inasmuch as the whole
catastrophe turns out a dream brought on by "sorcery," during the
"sviatki" or Holy Nights (see Canto V. st. x), and the dreamer
awakes to hear the tinkling of her lover's sledge approaching.
"Svetlana" has been translated by Sir John Bowring.
