by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky (1821 - 1881)
Translation by Constance Clara Garnett née Black (1861 - 1946)
Жил на свете таракан
Language: Russian (Русский)
Жил на свете таракан, Таракан от детства, И потом попал в стакан Полны мухоедства -- - Господи! Что такое? [...]1 - То есть, когда летом [...]1 в стакан налезут мухи, то происходит мухоедство, всякий дурак поимёт, не перебивайте, не перебивайте, вы увидите, вы увидите! [...]1 [Пожалуйста, сначала! Жил на свете таракан, Таракан от детства, И потом попал в стакан Полны мухоедства.]2 Место занял таракан, Мухи возроптали, ,,Полон очень наш стакан``, -- К Юпитеру закричали. Но пока у них шёл крик, Подошёл Никифор, Бла-го-роднейший старик ... ... Тут у меня ещё не докончено, но всё равно, словами! [...]1 Никифор берёт стакан и, несмотря на крик, выплёскивает в лохань всю комедию, и мух и таракана, что давно надо было сделать. Но заметьте, [но]2 заметьте, сударыня, таракан не ропщет! [...]1 ,,Таракан не ропщет.`` Что же касается до Никифора, то он изображает природу.
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Note on TransliterationsAuthorship:
- by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky (1821 - 1881), no title, appears in Бесы (Besy) = Demons [novel], Book 1, Part 5, Chapter 4 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (1906 - 1975), "Таракан", op. 146 no. 2 (1974), first performed 1975 [ bass and piano ], from Четырёх стихотворениях капитана Лебядкина = Chetyrjokh stikhotvorenijakh kapitana Lebjadkina, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Constance Clara Garnett née Black) , "The cockroach"
- FRE French (Français) (Victor Derély) , "Le cancrelas"
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
This text was added to the website: 2008-12-30
Line count: 32
Word count: 137
The cockroach
Language: English  after the Russian (Русский)
Lived a cockroach in the world Such was his condition, In a glass he chanced to fall Full of fly-perdition. Heavens! What does it mean? That's when flies get into a glass in the summer-time hen it is perdition to the flies, any fool can understand. Don't interrupt, don't interrupt. You'll see, you'll see. Please, start again! Lived a cockroach in the world Such was his condition, In a glass he chanced to fall Full of fly-perdition. But he squeezed against the flies, They woke up and cursed him, Raised to Jove their angry cries; 'The glass is full to bursting!' In the middle of the din Came along Nikifor, Fine old man, and looking in... I haven't quite finished it. But no matter, I'll tell it in words, Nikifor takes the glass, and in spite of their outcry empties away the whole stew, flies, and beetles and all, into the pig pail, which ought to have been done long ago. But observe, madam, observe, the cockroach doesn't complain. 'The cockroach does not complain.' As for Nikifor he typifies nature.
Authorship:
- by Constance Clara Garnett née Black (1861 - 1946), "The cockroach" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Russian (Русский) by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky (1821 - 1881), no title, appears in Бесы (Besy) = Demons [novel], Book 1, Part 5, Chapter 4
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Researcher for this page: Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2011-01-02
Line count: 32
Word count: 180