by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky (1821 - 1881)
Translation by Constance Clara Garnett née Black (1861 - 1946)
Светлая личность
Language: Russian (Русский)
Он незнатной был породы, Он возрос среди народа, Но гонимий местью царской, Злобной завистью боярской, Он обрёк себя страданью, Казням, пыткам, истязанью, И пошёл вещать народу, Братство, равенство, свободу.1 И, восстанье начиная, Он бежал в чужие краи Из царева каземата, От кнута, щипцов и ката. А народ, восстать готовый Из-под участи суровой От Смоленска до Ташкента С нетерпеньем ждал студента.1 Ждал его он поголовно, Чтоб идти безпрекословно, Порешить в конец боярство, Порешить совсем и царство, Сделать общими именья И предать навеки мщенью Церкви, браки и семейство!1 Мира старого злодейство!1
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1 Shostakovich adds: "Эх!" ("`Ekh!")
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
1 Shostakovich adds: "Эх!" ("`Ekh!")
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Note on TransliterationsAuthorship:
- by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky (1821 - 1881), "Светлая личность", appears in Бесы (Besy) = Demons [novel], Book 2, Part 6, Chapter 3 [author's text checked 1 time 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), "Светлая личность", op. 146 no. 4 (1974), first performed 1975 [ bass and piano ], from Четырёх стихотворениях капитана Лебядкина = Chetyrjokh stikhotvorenijakh kapitana Lebjadkina, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Constance Clara Garnett née Black) , "A noble personality"
- FRE French (Français) (Victor Derély) , "Une personnalité éclairée"
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
This text was added to the website: 2008-12-30
Line count: 24
Word count: 89
A noble personality
Language: English  after the Russian (Русский)
He was not of rank exalted, He was not of noble birth, He was bred among the people In the breast of Mother Earth. But the malice of the nobles And the Tsar's revengeful wrath Drove him forth to grief and torture On the martyr's chosen path. He set out to teach the people Freedom, love, equality, To exhort them to resistance; But to flee the penalty Of the prison, whip and gallows, To a foreign land he went. While the people waited hoping From Smolensk to far Tashkent, Waited eager for his coming To rebel against their fate, To arise and crush the Tsardom And the nobles' vicious hate, To share all the wealth in common, And the antiquated thrall Of the church, the home and marriage To abolish once for all.
Authorship:
- by Constance Clara Garnett née Black (1861 - 1946), "A noble personality" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Russian (Русский) by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky (1821 - 1881), "Светлая личность", appears in Бесы (Besy) = Demons [novel], Book 2, Part 6, Chapter 3
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: 2011-01-27
Line count: 24
Word count: 133