The Upas Tree poem – Alexander Pushkin

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

Deep in the desert’s misery,

far in the fury of the sand,

there stands the awesome Upas Tree

lone watchman of a lifeless land.

The wilderness, a world of thirst,

in wrath engendered it and filled

its every root, every accursed

grey leafstalk with a sap that killed.

Dissolving in the midday sun

the poison oozes through its bark,

and freezing when the day is done

gleams thick and gem-like in the dark.

No bird flies near, no tiger creeps;

alone the whirlwind, wild and black,

assails the tree of death and sweeps

away with death upon its back.

And though some roving cloud may stain

with glancing drops those leaden leaves,

the dripping of a poisoned rain

is all the burning sand receives.

But man sent man with one proud look

towards the tree, and he was gone,

the humble one, and there he took

the poison and returned at dawn.

He brought the deadly gum; with it

he brought some leaves, a withered bough,

while rivulets of icy sweat

ran slowly down his livid brow.

He came, he fell upon a mat,

and reaping a poor slave’s reward,

died near the painted hut where sat

his now unconquerable lord.

The king, he soaked his arrows true

in poison, and beyond the plains

dispatched those messengers and slew

his neighbors in their own domains.

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Poems in English 

• Sonnet 71: No longer mourn for me when I am dead by William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
• Sonnet 70: That thou art blamed shall not be thy defect by William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
• Sonnet 6: Then let not winter’s ragged hand deface by William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
• Sonnet 69: Those parts of thee that the world’s eye doth view by William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
• Sonnet 68: Thus is his cheek the map of days outworn by William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
• Sonnet 67: Ah, wherefore with infection should he live by William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
• Sonnet 66: Tired with all these, for restful death I cry by William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
• Sonnet 65: Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea by William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
• Sonnet 64: When I have seen by Time’s fell hand defaced by William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
• Sonnet 63: Against my love shall be, as I am now by William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
• Sonnet 62: Sin of self-love possesseth all mine eye by William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
• Sonnet 61: Is it thy will thy image should keep open by William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
• Sonnet 60: Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore by William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
• Sonnet 5: Those hours, that with gentle work did frame by William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
• Sonnet 59: If there be nothing new, but that which is by William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
• Sonnet 58: That god forbid, that made me first your slave by William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
• Sonnet 57: Being your slave, what should I do but tend by William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
• Sonnet 56: Sweet love, renew thy force, be it not said by William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
• Sonnet 55: Not marble, nor the gilded monuments by William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
• Sonnet 95: How sweet and lovely dost thou make the shame by William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare

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