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Mtsyri

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Майя Финкельштейн
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266 views15 pages

Mtsyri

Uploaded by

Майя Финкельштейн
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
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Narrative Poems by | ALEXANDER PUSHKIN and by MIKHAIL LERMONTOV Translated by CHARLES JOHNSTON Introduction by Kyril FiezLyon Random House &y New York Coprigh © 19,1980, 18, 198 1055 by Chae eben Al ihe erred unde Inet bd Pas Ameria Copy ‘atin inte United Sat by RandbsHoate Tn, New Yor, nd All saan peviouly pals i seart tons by Boley Ted Saber ‘Th nas a / Aled Pontiy—The unr aye Novos Toe Deo / Mia! Lamont 1 Rin pty 18h entry Tessas ito ' Bei Hi tam Rain. [Pain Alcande Sree, I-18, Pome gli, Sletonn Harmon Mihi Frei "M1188 Foo lh Seton HL. Jonatn, ars Hepbarn, Si, 1812- PORT 1m wT13uS sar NBN oastsse Manat nh ie Stata of Arron serepaa2 CONTENTS, Luseaay 2] ES He BS Se , s39 “4 a7 8s sess se 8 107 ER EH GHG HB BB, THE NOVICE’ 1d at a ean md ‘Once not many year ag, inher souningly togeher How Arigva and Kuré—the place where, ike two sisters, they embrace — {here stood a monatery. Sil the traveller who eames down he ill sos pillars ofa crumbling gate, towers a chureh's vaulted stats tout from it uow theres na pete of incense smeing inthe gloom, and late at night no chanting rls, 1 monks are praying fo our souls, Just an old watehman, feeble, grey, ‘attend the ruined eure today bby men forguten he has been, lo by death, as he eweep clan sravestones with legends which ke green tales of past fame—of how, worn down Iuneath the burden of is ew, certain king conveyed island, in such yar, to Russia's hand, * Lexmanor efor a pom Misr. He apnoea note “Min raz wovice #& & Ail so heaven's benediction fell ‘on Georgia it haa bloomed wel the hedge that friendly bayonets made since then has kept it unafraid, ‘enclosed in its own gardenshade " Down from the mountains re one day ‘Tessin genera, on his way to Tis with a prionerehild— ‘he boy’ wai, the oad had piled ‘up too much effort fr him: wild ‘8 mountain chars, bout i pliant and weak as kindlingsticks, Bat in him his exhausted plight ad called forth some anette night ‘of sprit, For however faint he fl, no groan, no least complaint pasted thawe young ips; he thrust aide All ordinary ford im pride ‘and in silere ell bat di ‘Armonk tok pity on the wa tended hit malady, and ante in sheltering wall he lived on thee, brought back to health by loving care, AU Brat, detntng hia fon, ‘he ran away trom everyone, ‘and, roaming silent, all lone, looked tothe east with righ and groan — yearnings too deop to understand {turned him towants his native land. ‘But soon his prison sentence grew familia, the strange language too 6 ® Lxnwonroy ‘thon christened by that baly man, hh never knew the word his plan in the fll prime of youth was now to utter the monastic vor, when suddenly, ne astunm night, he vanished —isappeared fro sight. Hills darkly wooded rue all round, For thes long days they searched the ground, in vain; then on the steppe they found him fainted, onee more brought hm in tack othe cloister he was thin and deathly pale and fsb oo, 1s from some fever be heen through, tome hunger, while he'd been away, or sme onde, No word he'd sy, to quations, visibly each day he fade and approached is end ‘Then eame to hits his reverend friend with exhortation and with prayer, ‘proudly the stferer heard him there, ‘then raised himself with all the strength sil let him, and thus spoke at length: um “T thank you, sr, for coming here for my confession. tn your ear ‘words are the mine that best Wil cae the burden of my eb. ‘Toathera [have done noi, and so my actions fr you will be profiles to hese about — or can a sul be detailed out? [ve ived my short life i dures, rum vovien 5 No, two much ivee—for one af tre ‘nd trv, willy [would ‘exchange them if only could TTve known one thought, one and the same, thought of pation and of fame: swore, ved nme; ate iy soul away like rein grate. My dreams from sting ell’ estat, my prayers, itealled to that brave world ‘where fears and battler ae unfurled, where let in clo are oi and sre, where ke eagles, en ar foe, “This pasion, inthe dark midnight nourished on tear, with all my might to heaven and earth T about today, ‘and for no pardon do I pay: wv “Often I've heard howe you did save me sr rom an untimely grave— for what... alone, and glam, and pale, ‘Tat tor of by bast of gale, Tee grown ap within walls of gloom, sl «chil, monk hy dom, "Mother and father —holy sounds — Tend ell noone; in the bounds of sanctuary you hoped Pd lose ‘the natural human wish to sae eae aweetest of all names, Inv ‘they were inborn, Once and agin other Tom every hand vith home, frends, parents, native land; forme, not only no one dear — 86 & Lemwoxroy tot even dea one! tomb were ere! ‘Then, without wasting time to weep, onl nn ath Txvore to hee ‘hat a sme time my burning breast ja fora moment shouldbe pressed ‘ninetromenne', perhaps unknown, yet from land that was my own But now las, they're dead those dreams in the fall beauty of their gleams, ad, ae I've lived, 1 find my grave in lien si, an orphaned slave v “1 have no horror ofthe tous ‘they say that suferng, in that room, sleepin eld, everlasting elm Bat, to stop living... thers the harm. Pm young, young... Have you never known the dream to which will youth is promet rave you not known, have you fra, hw te waa aharp, how love was hot: how the heart beat more keenly while from some tal battlemented pile {you str the win, th eld spread round, ‘and air was nipping, and you found ‘ep in the wal’ reeassometines ‘a uiddled narling from fa limes — young dove that, driven in by fear ‘of raging storm hag uttered hee! Derhap the glorie world today Jaa coiled for you; you'r weak, you're grey, you's let the habit of dese, But you no longer need that fire tux Novice & 67 ‘You've got things to forgt—for you, _yutve lied I wish Ieould ive wo! vu “You atk what I contrived oaee luring the days while Twas treet ich pins and bill that trees ad erowned, woods running ot all around, In whispering cluster, fret as spring, like brothers dancing in rn ‘And frowning elif I sur, whose heart let by the torent, beat apart 1 guessed their thoughts divine’ art ves given tome from on high! their mone embracings inthe sky Tong since eut of each dy, each nigh, ‘they long, they thirst to reunite; Dut years and ages pass in vain— ‘and never they shall join again! ‘And Tsaw mountain erent that seem fantastical an any dream, ‘where atthe earliest hoor of dawn, ‘asf rom altar, smoke was drawn lap from the pel int the blue, tnd little clouds came swarming through leaving their secret loping plas, turning to east thee hurrying fane— ina white caravan ike bends ‘ot bird flown in from ditt lands Faro Isa, through vapoury strands, wher, glittering diamond ofthe snows, rey bastion Caucasus aoa; thd thes, for some etrange reason, T 88 # Lenwonrow fe light of heart; in days gone by— tweet voi ao prompted me-— Ti lived there, [bog to see fever more clearly, now at last, places and things from time long past. vu "And L romembersd father's hall, and our ravine, ob village all in ool shadow dispersed around heard he evening thunder sound ss homing horses galloped through, the distant bark of doa Ike, ‘On meonlight evenings, memory traced the row of elder, swarthy faced, who sat with serious loks before ry fathers port no, I saw more, [saw the cael seabbard eam, ‘on their lon daggers. Like dream ‘row of pictures indistinct, came and before my vision winked My father, a in life, all pind {in srmo, ad ther; chainmail linked 15 I romenberwd light ablaze from rfebarrls, and that gate that prow, indomitable stare, land my young sates ton were there Uir sweet eyes shone, their vos rang, ‘noe more listed as they sane cover my erb A torent aprang. down our raving i roared, i elle, oat it was hallow; on its gold sands T would play at noon; my sight tux wovier # §9 ‘pene the swallows i thle ight ‘as when a storm of rain was due, they gested the water while they ew saw again ear peaeful hall st evening, round the heaet, eal listened to tales that would recall how men lived in days lang since gone lays when tho work ill brighter shone, vu What dio, you sek to know, while had tread? Ted iy fe were salder fr than this tage of yours ha it 0 miss ‘those three days of perfcted bls. Tes longsince T began t yearn ‘se far fields, and to dasern itearth was beautiful learn ‘whether for fread or for gel ‘ne oome to thie terzetrial vale ‘Soin that dreadfl hour of night when thunder struck you down with fright, sehen by the altar, preatng round you lay all prostrate on the ground, Te. 74 have been glad to Fae, to enold in brotherly embrace that storm! My guze pursued each cla, ‘ny hand caught lightning-olts.. Speak loud, tell me, inside this walledin space what would you give me to replace the fiend, keen, though bret and fil, ‘that slormy hearts fee forthe gulet 1x "And so Iran long hours and fa, iknow not where! No single war lighted me on my stumbling way. ‘oyful it was forme to stray to let my tortured chet assay the midnight feanese of the wood — ‘no more than that. Tran 8 Red long while, and then, worn out at last, Iny on atom thickly grassed, and listened: no arunds of «cha, ‘The storm had ded. A feble trace of light, a radiance, seemed tlie betwoun the earth and the dar sky, tnd, pattered on i, stood out plain the pas of far mountin-hain Silent, unmoring and unseen, Viay; at times, frm the raving, ike a small hil jackal walled, and smoothly, glittering sealed, Tetweun the ones a serpent slipped; fad yet my soul was never gripped by fear wild as beast, Lid, snake, away from man and hid x “Surmavollen, on the lower groand a tgerent roared and is dull sound ‘smbled elely, 3 I foun, hundred angry vuiew. I ful underatand thin words ey, thie unformed murmur endless shock tus novice # 91 ‘of wrangling with hareronted rose Now all at ono the tumult fl silent, now it bogan to sel And break the stillness all about; oon, am that sty Baht, rang out the song of birds, and then the eas turned golden: suddenly roeased, ‘breath shook Ieaven on every bough; the slepy Sowers breathed perfume now, and, lke them, Tsuluted day, looked oat. and its no shame to say, fan I peered ound, I quake with fo Thad been Iying on the sheer brink of a fight eli rom here tn angry torrent, far below, went whieting onward, and to show the way down, steps eut in the face; ‘only a lend expelled from grate ‘own down from heaven could ever dare to se hell's caverns down tat stale x1 “And, all around, God's garen Boome ‘lowers that in bright raiment loomed slept tate of tears divine, and curing tendrils of the vine ‘round brilliantly ami the sheen ast by the lave! pellet greens trbileom ther, hea cluster lung vere lke rich earrings as they hung fn splendour sometimes to them few ‘ok of birds in timorous ere. ‘Once more I lay back on the ground, @ f Lxmwonrov Spelled ps ' grees ee nate Sein eee : nee Soares ace xa “Then ta the torent from tht height, from crag o rag, a best T might, luting the pliant bushes, ‘set off deni. A roc wold fy from underfoot, and rll and bounds smoking, the dist behind i wound St ambled dow, with jump and tha tnd then was awallowed in the Mod, angling, Thung above the sere, ‘but death held no alarms for me, rue wovier # s0 for hands are strong when youth is free! ‘As [groped down the stcop descent, the mountain water's fete went Alot to mest me, ad fell thirsty on the torrent el ‘Then, al t once, yoie—and light foots and in instintive eight ducked behind the serub, and out Limidly T peered round about, listened with and of this, And ever nearer, bare by bart, the Georgian maiden’ singing rang with such an artlessness she sang, to nwort and leat and few her tone, you'd think she'd Learat sing ane the names of loved ones of her oe, Nothing more simple than that stain, but in my thought it lodged; again at nightfall I ean hear iting, ‘if; unsen, her soul should wing xa “HHlding ber pitcher on ber bead, ‘the maiden took the path tat led down to the mountain torent bed. Sometimes, on rock, her foothold slipped she laughed as alway he tripped. ‘er deat was humble; down the track she walked lightod un brushed back her winding chara. Sultry days had covered in a golden hae her fae, her breast anid summer's low breathed from her mouth and checks. But so 4 & Lanwontoy leep was the darkness of her eye, fll of secrets to warms, loveseerets, tht my head went round. All T remember ithe soand the jag made as it slowly drowned, ‘murmuring through the torrent food ‘When T eatne to, and when the blood Jha flowed back from my hear, she'd gone seme distance of as she walked on, low, yet liphtfooted, straight and wie ‘beneath he load, she was as slim sa any poplantree that stands fad queen it over neighbouring anda! Not far away, in else embrace, two eabine grown from the rokfage loomed through the ely evening mists bore one's rot, ina blue twist, smoke ese, As now, Te again how the door gently opened, then chet encase Uae ie past conceiving why Tim 30 its past conceiving, and Fm gad: ‘the memory of thse moments T would wish in me, with me t dle xiv “ty the nigh’ travail quite worn out lay down i th shades. Without eflort my eyes were sealed shout by blissful sleep... T saw once more that Georgian gil and, as betore, ‘a strange, sweet yearning eam to bret ran Novice #95 ‘my heart and make it pine and athe ‘ought I fought to broathe—but soon [woke up, Aud by now the moon ‘was high and shining after it ‘single loudes seemed to it ‘wth arms wide open forthe embrace. ‘And the dark. world was stil; pace far distant, ranges tipped with sow sparkled away, and seemed to throw ‘asithouete of silvery gw. Splashing its bank, 1 heard the stream fd in the cabin a faint gleam ‘would cker up, and once more die, eto, roe the midnight ak, 4 brieht star shines, then dis up Uhre! longed to... but | dn’ dare ‘0 over tothe but. 4 planned tne thing—to reach my native lands ‘ne thing alone—so hunge's pain Taqueled oa best T could, Again [arte on the straightot way, timia, without a word to y— ‘ut al at once begun to stray ‘aso an in the fort's night allo. the mountaine from my sight, xv “In my despair, to no aval, Telutahed, at moments on my tail, same thorny bush, with iy erown ‘ternal forest ll around tev denser, grimmer, every paces vith millon ena black eyes, the face %6 # Leexonrov rae novice # 97 ‘of darkest night lok through the sera, twas the wastes eternal guest— peered through the ties of every shrab the huge mow leopard. He earesed ‘My head wan turning for «tie 1 matened bone, he gnawod it, squealod {aid the tee, be 0 slimby for sheer enjoyment; then he whee It alway onthe orion 0 the fal on bisa ee, {he cm er tot apie sd rede ‘humping itil n rete wi — ‘hen threw maf down aly bin ot with verona wan ss thing in a deparing wy, Tid theft Poe | iin th earth damp bret «sl ibiweiaienderis | cece eee ee eapeesgereetrng che | to ground tn wading steams of dow foe war an blo. ye ate Py, bt nip trom nen, Lea oo, Aitelno on dif ngy ! Tilerelt oe eel Nea ped ee felteratiedan eerie | Uke steppe Beato ll thei eee a never ave Bon eunted here | Teta trang and ifm tenn one who are re | sw tongue a hy he bt oy i betrayed me, reverend father, why, XVIL Tinie may de ! “IL waited. Now, through shades of dark, xv eerie ca Recieeuiacees eset i Prone elas rary ee ame ore. In rag bo shot | rezone tee sista a ber ad tates wal eae ae once eeeisen a a mle Peers saree eetiyel tiple eter a feecitren te ed fae ie ie eiea thy ipl fered ih ed Ber fring ay are eae erent a erator stair TSoesrany quad ae ele yosmepuin ian Sedeny thee cherng had Tiere aero fone ee ta tare oa peel Boe eae rere oeia eee co eee crt rangle on ink in bods hey pang ven, Tay playing on the sandy track, the mortal ight boiled up again 9% & Lenwonrov xvi “tte rashod my ches in one swift bound ‘but with my weapon Thad found this throst, toe T had turned it round he whined, and with his nal strenath ‘began to jerk and ete at length, Tike «snake

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