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by Anna Andreyevna Akhmatova (1889 - 1966)
Translation © by Guy Laffaille

Он, сам себя сравнивший с конским глазом
Language: Russian (Русский) 
Our translations:  ENG FRE
Он, сам себя сравнивший с конским глазом, 
Косится, смотрит, видит, узнает, 
И вот уже расплавленным алмазом 
Сияют лужи, изнывает лед.

В лиловой мгле покоятся задворки, 
Платформы, бревна, листья, облака. 
Свист паровоза, хруст арбузной корки, 
В душистой лайке робкая рука.

Звенит, гремит, скрежещет, бьет прибоем 
И вдруг притихнет, - это значит, он 
Пугливо пробирается по хвоям, 
Чтоб не спугнуть пространства чуткий сон.

И это значит, он считает зерна
В пустых колосьях, это значит, он
К плите дарьяльской, проклятой и черной,
Опять пришел с каких-то похорон.

И снова жжет московская истома, 
Звенит вдали смертельный бубенец - 
Кто заблудился в двух шагах от дома, 
Где снег по пояс и всему конец?..

За то, что дым сравнил с Лаокооном,
Кладбищенский воспел чертополох,
За то, что мир наполнил новым звоном
В пространстве новом отраженных строф, -

Он награждён каким-то вечным детством, 
Той щедростью и зоркостью светил, 
И вся земля была его наследством,
А он её со всеми разделил.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   J. Tavener 

J. Tavener sets stanza 7

About the headline (FAQ)

Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.

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Note on Transliterations

Text Authorship:

  • by Anna Andreyevna Akhmatova (1889 - 1966), "Борис Пастернак", written 1936 [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 Marjo Tal (1915 - 2006), "The poet", 1975 [ voice and piano ], from Sest' pesen - Zes Russische liederen = Six Russian Songs, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by John Kenneth Tavener (1944 - 2013), "Борис Пастернак", first performed 1993, stanza 7 [ soprano and cello or string quartet ], from Akhmatova Songs, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "Boris Pasternak", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Boris Pasternak", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-08-10
Line count: 28
Word count: 150

Boris Pasternak
Language: French (Français)  after the Russian (Русский) 
Il se comparait à un œil de cheval,
Il louche, il regarde, il voit, il apprend,
Et maintenant diamants fondus,
Les flaques brillent, la glace se meurt.

Dans la brume pourpre reposent les cours,
Les quais, les poutres, les feuilles, les nuages.
Le sifflet d'une locomotive, le craquement de l'écorce d'une pastèque,
Dans le cuir parfumé une main timide.

Il sonne, il tonne, il grince, il bat les vagues,
Et soudain il s'apaise, -- cela signifie que
Craintif il se faufile à travers des aiguilles de pin
Afin de ne pas troubler le sommeil léger de l'espace.

Et cela signifie qu'il compte les grains
Dans les épis vides, cela signifie que,
À la dalle du Darial, damnée et noire,
Il revient de certaines funérailles.

Et encore une fois, la langueur de Moscou le brûle,
Au loin tinte  la clochette de la mort.
Qui s'est perdu à deux pas de la maison,
Où la neige arrive jusqu'à la taille et c'est la fin de tout ?...

Pour avoir comparé la fumée à Laocoon,
Chanté le chardon du cimetière ;
Pour avoir rempli le monde des nouveaux tintements
De vers reflétés dans de nouveaux espaces.

Il était doté d'une certaine enfance éternelle,
De cette générosité et de cette vision acérée,
La terre entière était son héritage
Et cela, il l'a partagé avec tous.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from Russian (Русский) to French (Français) copyright © 2015 by Guy Laffaille, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
    Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in Russian (Русский) by Anna Andreyevna Akhmatova (1889 - 1966), "Борис Пастернак", written 1936
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2015-01-13
Line count: 28
Word count: 218

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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