pō’ĭ-trē

Aleksandr Pushkin

Listen (to D. Zhuravlev read in russian)

I loved you; even now I may confess,
Some embers of my love their fire retain;
But do not let it cause you more distress,
I do not want to sadden you again.
Hopeless and tonguetied, yet I loved you dearly
With pangs the jealous and the timid know;
So tenderly I loved you, so sincerely,
I pray God grant another love you so.

In russian.

Я вас любил..

Я вас любил: любовь еще, быть может
В душе моей угасла не совсем;
Но пусть она вас больше не тревожит;
Я не хочу печалить вас ничем.
Я вас любил безмолвно, безнадежно,
То робостью, то ревностью томим;
Я вас любил так искренно, так нежно,
Как дай вам бог любимой быть другим.

(From www.russianpoetry.net, which is an anthology of Russian poems with translations and recordings. )

I don’t know Russian, so when I met a friend who reads literature in the language, I asked him to suggest a poem. He immediately suggested a Pushkin. (I am still looking for a good translation of that one, but here is one to begin with. I loved you this poem, for its simplicity, conciseness and completeness. :)

Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin inspired The Golden Gate (which happens to be one of my favourite books).

[blackmamba]