MO DE RN RUS S I A N PO ETRY TEXTS AND TRANS LATI ONS SELECT ED AND T R A NSLAT ED W I TH A N I NT ROD UCTI ON P S E L V E R . LONDON KE GAN U L TR E NC H T L T R B NE R D . PA , , U C O 6 8 - R E R L E E C m y 2 M E M REE . U U W S . C 74, CA T AN , . ; 5 , S T T , . NE W Y ORK : E P DUTTO N O . (9 C . FATH E R P R E FAC E THIS book forms the Russian section of a more extensive S lavonic anthology which has been in progress for some re re years , and , as far as it has been completed , includes p sent ative selections from the modern poetry of the Poles , S . Czechs , and erbs The disadvantages associated with all anthologies are increased in the case of an anthology of translated verse , where the choice of the contents is affected not only by the ’ translator s personal leanings , but also by the suitability of any particular poem for translation into another As d language . regards the present volume , it is admitte ly the merest outline , to be filled in later , as circumstances may permit . But it is hoped that this collection , in as Spite of such obvious shortcomings have been indicated , will convey a fairly adequate idea of the chief features in modern Russian poetry , a branch of Russian literature which has so far received very little serious attention in this country . On the subj ect of verse —translation there is a great is divergency of opinion , and it not proposed to discuss the matter at length in this preface . In the main , the translator has considered it h is duty to produce render ings which , in themselves , are reasonably good English . h as verse At the same time , an endeavour been made to give the meaning of the originals as closely as t h e restrictions of rhyme and rhythm will permit . The character of the original metre has been retained in V 1 5 25 8 1 0 MODE RN R U SSIAN POE T RY t h e almost every case . In the Russian text natural s tonic accent h a been indicated . S ome of these rend e rings first app e ared in The New A e e g , and are reprinted in this coll ction by kind per e mission of the Editor , whom the translator tak s this opportunity of thanking . It is also a duty and a pleasure B aks o . h w h to express gratitude to Mr Alexander y , read f the proofs of the book , and o fered valuable suggestions as and criticisms While it w passing through the press . P . S . L ON DON . C O NTE NTS Th e a e t i p ges ref r to h e E ngl sh ver s w h s . P REFACE I NTR OD UCTI O N K . D B L M NT: . A O MY S ONG - CRAFT 1 AM CH O I CENESS O F RUSSI A N ’ L I FE S B EHEST THE REEDS I CAME I NTO TH I S WO RL D THE L I GHT WI L L B URN AND DARK EN o WAVES OF THE OCEAN THE MAGI C WOR L D ALEXANDER BLOCK TENDER - GREY THE DAY WAS THE WI L L O W-BO UGHS VAL ERY B RYUS OV STANZAS ON B OOK CATA L OGUES D . B ON To K . ALM T B I RD S OF WRATH DUS K THE S TONE HE W E R I VAN B UNIN NIG N HT HASTE S 0 HO W AGL EAM ZI NAI DA H I P P I U S : S ONG EL ECTRI CI TY MODE R N R USSIAN PO E TR Y L OKHVI TS K AY A : AND M OAN OF WI NDS D ME RE ZH K V K . S . O S Y : NI RVANA Q U O TH NATURE THE EVENTI DE FON DL ED NATURE TH E S O WER M S K N . I N Y : ’ MAN S P O NDE R I NGS AND L A B O URS I VI EW THE P R O M I SED L AND WHAT Y O U ARE W ONT To NAME TH E C I TY AFAR S OL B : F . OGU FR OM M OI STEN ED C L A'Y NO RTHERN TRI OL ETS (L ) THO U EARTH I I . ( ) THE EARTH , THE EARTH I (I I I . ) QU VERS THE HEART - X I V . P I I I ( ) CHURCH S RE , CRUC F v LI ( . ) WHAT DE GHT I N TH I S HO UR EVI L DRAGON O VER THE RI VER v S OL OVY OV : . FRI END B E L OVED ! o M I STRESS EARTH AM I D THE M O RNI NG HAZES THE C O URT O F MY EM P RESS I NTRO DUC TIO N THE more recent developments in the history of Russian poetry may be regarde d as a revival following upon a I n th e period of depression and stagnation . following sketch an attempt will be made to trace briefly the vary ing stages in its progress during the nineteenth century , b e fore the achievements of contemporary writers are dis e cuss d in any detail . Th e first important epoch in the history of Russian poetry during the nineteenth century is associated with the names of Pushkin and Lermontov . Pushkin , in particular , founded a poetical school , among the members V azemsk Del vi of which were such men as y y , g , Yazykov , and B arat y nsky . This was the golden age of Russian poetry , the popularity of which was enhanced by Push ’ e kin s r lations with the Court . 8 1 1 e 1 8 . Pushkin died in 37 , Lermontov in 4 Th se dates mark the beginning of a decline in the vogue which a t poetic l li erature had been enj oying . It rapidly sank from one extreme of favour to the other , and before long. lyric ve rse was re garded as an inferior branch of litera e ture , and was n glected by readers and critics alike . Yet , in Spite of these adverse conditions , there was not a e e compl t lack of lyric poets . About the middle of the century , at the very time when this reaction was most w as marked , the tradition of the earlier years being e T ut ch ev Maiko v worthily uph ld by such men as y , , Fet , e e and Polonsky . The n gl ct of p oetry was , in fact , due as to the political situation . It w a period when Russian society w as beginning to show symptoms of internal ferment . All men of intellectual ability were expected to employ their talents for the advancem e nt of the political c ause . This practical materialism , which rej ected all 1X X MOD E R N R USSIAN PO E TR Y its activities not serving an immediate purpose , found warmest advocat e in the person of Dmitri Ivanovitch . P is arev (1 8 41 a critic with an aggressive attitude to a wards poetry and all purely esthetic products . The con sequence w as that only those poets could flourish whose e e activities happ n d to fulfil the urgent needs of the time . S uch a on e was Ny ekr assov (1 8 2 1 with poems that championed the cause of the lower classes and formed an e loquent protest against the prevailing conditions . In w a N the same y , Koltsov and ikitin , both of peasant e origin , were widely read owing to the popular ton of their verses . Love of the popular became during this period a fashion , not only in language and literature , but e e also in such ext rnal matters as dr ss and deportment . Nads on 1 8 6 2 — 8 In the eighties , ( 7) attained remarkable success by a volum e of poems in which the leading theme is sympathy for the unfortun ate and oppressed . The pathetic circumstances associated with his name — above e — all , his early d ath from consumption procured for his poems a reputation which their lachrymose rhetoric scarcely deserve d ; but the enthusiasm they at first aroused was followed by a period of even less merited e e n gl ct . The nineties — critical years in many European litera tures — found Russia passing through a fre sh e poch of e e im unrest , but this tim the movement was to hav an portant artistic aspect . The study of the English Pre Raphae lites and the French symbolists wi dened the poetical outlook by introducing new standards of tech i e e n qu and subj ect matter . The languag was gradually rendered capable of more subtle forms and shades of expression than had been known to the earlier poets . e And this , it may be notic d , is a process through which all the rej uvenated Slavonic literature s have passed within recent years . Abundant translation from foreign litera e e tures is a characteristic symptom of such a dev lopm nt , for not only is the language strengthened and enriched by this activity , but the poets themselves acquire greater e linguistic and metrical skill , whil a more intelligent and - e .