Confession (to Alina Osipova, 1826) poem – Alexander Pushkin

A poem by Alexander Pushkin – Pouchkine, Pooshkin (1799-1837), in English translation

I love you; though it makes me beat,

Though vain it seems, and melancholy –

Yet to this shameless, hapless folly

I’ll be confessing at your feet.

It ill becomes me: that I’m older,

Time I should be more sensible…

And yet the frivolous disorder

Fills every jitter of my soul.

Say you’ll be gone; I’m jaded, yawning;

You’re back; I’m sad, I suffer through –

Yet how can I be clear, from owning,

My angel, all my care for you!

When off the stairs your weightless footfall,

Your dress’s rustle, reaches me,

Your voice, as maidenly, as youthful –

I lose my senses instantly.

You smile at me; I’m glad, immensely;

Ignore me; and I’m sad, again;

Your pallid hand will recompense me

For the whole day of utter pain.

When you’re embroidering, or setting

Your eye on something fair, or letting

Your hair amuse you; I’m beguiled;

In silence, reddening, all forgetting

I watch you like a spellbound child.

But then how wretched my existence,

How desolate my jealous pain,

When you set out into the distance

To wander in the cold and rain;

And then your solitary grievings,

Or, in the corner, twosome talks,

Or twosome piano in the evenings,

Or twosome trips, or twosome walks…

Alina! just a little mercy –

I dare not even mention love:

For sins I have been guilty of,

My angel, of your care unworthy…

But feign it! All can be achieved

By that absorbing gaze, believe me…

Oh, it takes little to deceive me –

I cannot wait to be deceived!

translated by: Genia Gurarie

email: egurarie@princeton.edu

http://www.princeton.edu/~egurarie/

Copyright ©: 
Genia Gurarie

Poetry Monster – Home

A few random poems:

External links

Bat’s Poetry Page – more poetry by Fledermaus

Talking Writing Monster’s Page –

Batty Writing – the bat’s idle chatter, thoughts, ideas and observations, all original, all fresh

Poems in English 

• Степан Щипачев – Потомкам by Степан Щипачёв
• Степан Щипачев – По дороге в совхоз by Степан Щипачёв
• Степан Щипачев – Опять тревожно, больно сердцу стало by Степан Щипачёв
• Степан Щипачев – Обращение к времени by Степан Щипачёв
• Степан Щипачев – Не громок, не бросок мой стих by Степан Щипачёв
• Степан Щипачев – Любовью дорожить умейте by Степан Щипачёв
• Степан Щипачев – Лил дождь осенний by Степан Щипачёв
• Степан Щипачев – Ладонь by Степан Щипачёв
• Степан Щипачев – Голос by Степан Щипачёв
• Степан Щипачев – День by Степан Щипачёв
• Степан Щипачев – Березка by Степан Щипачёв
• Степан Щипачев – Атака by Степан Щипачёв
• Стефан Малларме – Звенящий зимний день by Stéphane Mallarmé
• Стефан Малларме – Записка Уистлеру by Stéphane Mallarmé
• Стефан Малларме – Вздох by Stéphane Mallarmé
• Стефан Малларме – Весеннее обновление by Stéphane Mallarmé
• Стефан Малларме – В идоложертвенном ликующем костре by Stéphane Mallarmé
• Стефан Малларме – В альбом by Stéphane Mallarmé
• Стефан Малларме – Устав от горького бездействия и лени by Stéphane Mallarmé
• Стефан Малларме – Появление by Stéphane Mallarmé

More external links (open in a new tab):

Russian Commerce Agency

Dealing Monster

Doska or the Board – write anything

Search engines:

Yandex – the best search engine for searches in Russian (and the best overall image search engine, in any language, anywhere)

Qwant – the best search engine for searches in French, German as well as Romance and Germanic languages.

Ecosia – a search engine that supposedly… plants trees

Duckduckgo – the real alternative and a search engine that actually works. Without much censorship or partisan politics.

Yahoo– yes, it’s still around, amazingly, miraculously, incredibly, but now it seems to be powered by Bing.

 

Parallel Translations of Poetry

Poems by Author and Category

The Poetry Repository – an online library of poems, poetry, verse and poetic works