The Season

And must I wear a silken life,

Hemmed in by city walls?

And must I give my garden up

For theatres and balls?

Nay, though the cage be made of gold,

‘Tis better to be free;

The green of the green meadows, love,

Is quite enough for me.

I’d rather ramble through the lanes

Than drive about in town;

I’d rather muse or dream than dance,

When the stars are shining down.

I do not care for diamonds, dear,

But I care a deal for flowers;

And thousands are just creeping out

For the sunshine and the showers.

I like to hear the Household band,

But I love the bird-songs best;

And hark! how they are twittering now

Round each half-hidden nest!

The wind is whispering in the leaves,

And the downy bees begin

To hum in the blossoming sycamores,

And the brook is chiming in.

There is such melody in the woods,

Such music in the air!

The streets are full of life and sound,

And yet ’tis silent there.

I like to see the pictures-ay,

But I am hard to please!

I never saw a picture yet

As great and grand as these;

Such tones of colour as transform

The tender green and brown,

When the pink dawn is flushing up,

Or the red sun sinking down;

Such painting as the chestnut bud

Shows in its opening heart;

Such lights as shine ‘twixt earth and sky

When rain-clouds break apart;

Such soft, warm, subtle tints, as lie

In every mossy patch-

On the blue-brown trunks, now filled with life,

And the humble roof of thatch,-

In the purple hollows of the hills,

In the lichen on the wall,

In the orchard and the feathery woods,

And the sun-lit waterfall.

I like my humble country ways,

My simple, early meals;

I like to potter about the yard,

With my chickens at my heels.

I’d rather climb this brambly steep,

Where freshest sea-winds blow,

With my old straw hat hanging down my back.

Than canter along the Row.

To me (it’s vulgar, dear, I know)

No fête is half so gay

As a cricket-match on the village green,

Or a picnic in the hay.

Ah, yes! I’m happier as I am,-

I’m ignorant, you see;

And the life of fashion that you love

Would never do for me.

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 

• Николай Языков – Е. А. Тимашевой (Молодая ученица) by Николай Языков
• Николай Языков – Е. А. Свербеевой (Мысль неразгульного поэта) by Николай Языков
• Николай Языков – Две картины by Николай Языков
• Николай Языков – Дума (Одну минуту, много две) by Николай Языков
• Николай Языков – Дом сумасшедших в Дерпте by Николай Языков
• Николай Языков – Девятое мая by Николай Языков
• Николай Языков – Дева ночи by Николай Языков
• Николай Языков – Давным-давно люблю я страстно by Николай Языков
• Николай Языков – Д. Н. Свербееву (Во имя Руси, милый брат) by Николай Языков
• Николай Языков – Чувствительное путешествие в Ревель by Николай Языков
• Николай Языков – Благодарю вас за цветы by Николай Языков
• Николай Языков – Баян к русскому воину by Николай Языков
• Николай Языков – Ау by Николай Языков
• Николай Языков – Альпийская песня by Николай Языков
• Николай Языков – Аделаиде (Я твой, я твой, Аделаида) by Николай Языков
• Николай Языков – А. В. Тихвинскому (Как знать, куда моя дорога) by Николай Языков
• Николай Языков – А. В. Киреевой (Тогда как сердцем мы лелеем) by Николай Языков
• Николай Языков – А. С. Дириной by Николай Языков
• Николай Языков – А. Н. Вульфу (Теперь я в Камби, милый мой) by Николай Языков
• Николай Языков – А. Н. Вульфу (Нe называй меня поэтом) by Николай Языков

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