Alexander Pushkin

“ In a minute the road was covered up; the whole scope vanished in a turbid yellowish murk bespeckled with the flying hoary lumps of snow; sky blended into earth. Vladimir strayed into the field and vainly tried to gain the road: the horse only stumbled along at random and continually kept mounting the drifts or falling into pits; the sleigh toppled over each minute. Vladimir only strove to keep to the correct direction. But it seemed to him that more than half an hour had passed, and he still did not reach Zhadrino’s grove. Another ten minutes or so passed; no grove was to be seen. ”

“ I vividly pictured to myself the fate of Maria Ivanovna, and my heart sank within me.
"Listen, Ivan Kouzmitch," said I to the commandant, "it is our duty to defend the fortress to our last breath; nothing can be urged against this. But we must think of the safety of the women. Send them to Orenburg if the road is still free, or to a distant and safer fortress where the wretches have not yet had time to penetrate."
Turning to his wife, Ivan Kouzmitch said: "See here, my little mother, how would it do if you really went away, until we have settled with the rebels?" ”

“ He felt ashamed of his irritated vanity.
"Where are you going?" he said to the Italian. "Wait . . . I was compelled to decline an unmerited title and confess to you that I was not a poet. Now let us speak about your business. I am ready to serve you, if it be in my power to do so. Are you a musician?"
"No, Eccelenza," replied the Italian; "I am a poor improvisatore."
"An improvisatore!" cried Charsky, feeling all the cruelty of his reception. "Why didn't you say sooner that you were an improvisatore?" ”

“ Tereshka, the coachman, never uttered one word too much about it, even when he was drunk. Thus the secret was kept by more than half-a-dozen conspirators.
But Maria Gavrilovna herself divulged her secret during her delirious ravings. But her words were so disconnected, that her mother, who never left her bedside, could only understand from them that her daughter was deeply in love with Vladimir Nikolaievitch, and that probably love was the cause of her illness. ”

“ A maiden weeps as the dew falls; the sun will rise, will dry the dew. Thou wilt have another bridegroom--and handsome and affable. My charming child, thou wilt learn to love him, thou wilt forget Ivan the king's son. KSENIA. Nay, nurse, I will be true to him even in death. (Boris enters.) TSAR. What, Ksenia? What, my sweet one? In thy girlhood Already a woe-stricken widow, ever Bewailing thy dead bridegroom! Fate forbade me To be the author of thy bliss. Perchance I angered Heaven; it was not mine to compass Thy happiness. Innocent one, for what Art thou a sufferer? ”

“ Savelitch uttered an exclamation. His face beamed with joy.
"He has come to!—he has come to!" he repeated. "Glory to Thee, O Lord! Well, my little father, Piotr Andrevitch! thou hast frightened me! It is no joke; this is the fifth day!. . . ."
Maria Ivanovna interrupted him.
"Do not talk to him much, Savelitch," said she; "he is still weak!"
She left, and closed the door gently after her. My thoughts were disturbed. I was at the commandant's house. Maria Ivanovna had really come to me. I wished to ask Savelitch some questions; but the old man shook his head and stopped his ears. ”

“ I am sure that the gentlemen of this place esteem it an honour to extend every possible protection to such an excellent poet," replied the Italian: "and that is why I have ventured to present myself to you. . . ."
"You are mistaken, signor," interrupted Charsky. "The calling of poet does not exist among us. Our poets do not solicit the protection of gentlemen; our poets are gentlemen themselves, and if our Mæcenases (devil take them!) do not know that, so much the worse for them. Among us there are no ragged abbés, whom a musician would take out of the streets to compose a libretto. ”

“ Dimitry's name! SHUISKY. Then he knew nothing. TSAR. Listen: take steps this very hour that Russia Be fenced by barriers from Lithuania; That not a single soul pass o'er the border, That not a hare run o'er to us from Poland, Nor crow fly here from Cracow. Away! SHUISKY. I go. TSAR. Stay!--Is it not a fact that this report Is artfully concocted? Hast ever heard That dead men have arisen from their graves To question tsars, legitimate tsars, appointed, Chosen by the voice of all the people, crowned By the great Patriarch? Is't not laughable? Eh? What? Why laugh'st thou not thereat? ”

“ I replied, that having once been spared by him, I counted, not only upon his forbearance, but upon his assistance.
"And thou art right; by God thou art right!" said the pretender. "Thou sawest that my boys looked askance at thee; and the old man has insisted, even this day, upon thy being a spy, and that thou should'st be tortured and hanged; but I would not consent," he added, lowering his voice, so as not to be overheard by Savelitch and the Tartar; "for I recollected thy glass of wine and thy touloup. Thou seest I am not yet such a bloodsucker as thy people make me out to be." ”

“ Where are your delights?
Oh, where are you,
The joys of night?
The joyous dream
Is vanished,
And in a deep darkness
I woke up
Alone.
The deathly-still night
Surrounds my bed.
The dreams of love
Grew cold in a moment,
And flew away
As a flock of birds.
But my soul
Is still full of desires,
And catches
The memories of a dream.
O love, O love,
Listen to my prayers,
Send me again
Yours sweet visions,
And in the morning
Let me die
In ecstasy
With no awakening.
1816/1825
This work is a translation and has a separate copyright status to the applicable copyright protections of the original content. ”