till May?”
As to a brother, I replied then,
Without gripes or jealousy,
But four new cloaks just aren’t likely
To replace this loss for me.
Let there be danger where I walk,
The way of grief fills me with dread…
The bottom of my shoes are chalked,
My Chinese parasol shines red!
The orchestra plays gleefully
An d lips are smiling with delight
And yet the heart, the heart can see
The fifth lodge is unoccupied!
November 1911,
Tsarskoe Selo
***
Мурка, не ходи, там сыч
На подушке вышит,
Мурка серый, не мурлычь,
Дедушка услышит.
Няня, не горит свеча,
И скребутся мыши.
Я боюсь того сыча,
Для чего он вышит?
1911
***
There’s an owl sewn - don’t stir -
Onto the pillow near us,
O, gray Moorka, do not purr,
My grandfather will hear us.
Nanny, candles will not burn,
Mice are scratching, fearless,
Why was that owl ever sewn?
I’m scared of his appearance.
1911
Anna Akhmatova (June 23, 1889 - March 5, 1966) is considered by many to be one of the greatest Russian poets of the Silver Age. Although true fame and recognition did not come until her later, “Evening,” her first poetry collection, had caught the attention of many prominent literary critics of the time and helped to solidify her career as a writer. One of the forefront leaders of the Acmeism movement, which focused on rigorous form and directness of words, she was a master of conveying raw emotion in her portrayals of everyday situations. Her works range from short lyric love poetry to longer, more complex cycles, such as Requiem, a tragic depiction of the Stalinist terror. During the time of heavy censorship and persecution, her poetry gave voice to the Russian people. To this day, she remains one of Russia’s most beloved poets and has left a lasting impression on generations of poets that came after her.
Thank you for taking the time to read my work. Translation is a labor of love. Over time, what I’ve learned is that you often get back what you put into it. I enjoy every minute of it as it allows me to not only delve deeper into the poetry I love, but to also share this love with you, my readers.
My hope is that this book will lead you to explore my other books of Russian poetry translations. For a full-list of my books, see the following page.
If you enjoyed my work and have a moment to spare, I would really appreciate a short review. Your help in spreading the word is gratefully received.
Also, I would like to invite you to visit my new website dedicated to Russian poetry translations: Discernible Sound . As always don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions and/or comments.
Sincerely,
Andrey Kneller
Also by Andrey Kneller:
Rosary: Poetry of Anna Akhmatova
White Flock: Poetry of Anna Akhmatova
Final Meeting: Selected Poetry of Anna Akhmatova
Wondrous Moment: Selected Poetry of Alexander Pushkin
My Poems: Selected Poetry of Marina Tsvetaeva
Backbone Flute: Selected Poetry of Vladimir Mayakovsky
February: Selected Poetry of Boris Pasternak
The Stranger: Selected Poetry of Alexander Blok
Unfinished Flight: Selected Poetry of Vladimir Vysotsky
O, Time…: Selected Poetry of Victoria Roshe
Discernible Sound: Selected Poetry
As to a brother, I replied then,
Without gripes or jealousy,
But four new cloaks just aren’t likely
To replace this loss for me.
Let there be danger where I walk,
The way of grief fills me with dread…
The bottom of my shoes are chalked,
My Chinese parasol shines red!
The orchestra plays gleefully
An d lips are smiling with delight
And yet the heart, the heart can see
The fifth lodge is unoccupied!
November 1911,
Tsarskoe Selo
***
Мурка, не ходи, там сыч
На подушке вышит,
Мурка серый, не мурлычь,
Дедушка услышит.
Няня, не горит свеча,
И скребутся мыши.
Я боюсь того сыча,
Для чего он вышит?
1911
***
There’s an owl sewn - don’t stir -
Onto the pillow near us,
O, gray Moorka, do not purr,
My grandfather will hear us.
Nanny, candles will not burn,
Mice are scratching, fearless,
Why was that owl ever sewn?
I’m scared of his appearance.
1911
Anna Akhmatova (June 23, 1889 - March 5, 1966) is considered by many to be one of the greatest Russian poets of the Silver Age. Although true fame and recognition did not come until her later, “Evening,” her first poetry collection, had caught the attention of many prominent literary critics of the time and helped to solidify her career as a writer. One of the forefront leaders of the Acmeism movement, which focused on rigorous form and directness of words, she was a master of conveying raw emotion in her portrayals of everyday situations. Her works range from short lyric love poetry to longer, more complex cycles, such as Requiem, a tragic depiction of the Stalinist terror. During the time of heavy censorship and persecution, her poetry gave voice to the Russian people. To this day, she remains one of Russia’s most beloved poets and has left a lasting impression on generations of poets that came after her.
Thank you for taking the time to read my work. Translation is a labor of love. Over time, what I’ve learned is that you often get back what you put into it. I enjoy every minute of it as it allows me to not only delve deeper into the poetry I love, but to also share this love with you, my readers.
My hope is that this book will lead you to explore my other books of Russian poetry translations. For a full-list of my books, see the following page.
If you enjoyed my work and have a moment to spare, I would really appreciate a short review. Your help in spreading the word is gratefully received.
Also, I would like to invite you to visit my new website dedicated to Russian poetry translations: Discernible Sound . As always don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions and/or comments.
Sincerely,
Andrey Kneller
Also by Andrey Kneller:
Rosary: Poetry of Anna Akhmatova
White Flock: Poetry of Anna Akhmatova
Final Meeting: Selected Poetry of Anna Akhmatova
Wondrous Moment: Selected Poetry of Alexander Pushkin
My Poems: Selected Poetry of Marina Tsvetaeva
Backbone Flute: Selected Poetry of Vladimir Mayakovsky
February: Selected Poetry of Boris Pasternak
The Stranger: Selected Poetry of Alexander Blok
Unfinished Flight: Selected Poetry of Vladimir Vysotsky
O, Time…: Selected Poetry of Victoria Roshe
Discernible Sound: Selected Poetry
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