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 

• Василий Лебедев-Кумач – Спортивный марш by Василий Лебедев-Кумач
• Василий Лебедев-Кумач – Солнце садится by Василий Лебедев-Кумач
• Василий Тредиаковский – Видеть все женские лица by Василий Тредиаковский
• Василий Тредиаковский – В сем озере бедные любовники by Василий Тредиаковский
• Василий Тредиаковский – В белости ее румяной by Василий Тредиаковский
• Василий Тредиаковский – Песенка любовна by Василий Тредиаковский
• Василий Тредиаковский – Описание грозы, бывшей в Гааге by Василий Тредиаковский
• Василий Тредиаковский – О коль мне тамо сладка веселия было by Василий Тредиаковский
• Василий Тредиаковский – Ну, так уже я не стал быть вашим отныне by Василий Тредиаковский
• Василий Тредиаковский – Невозможно быть довольным by Василий Тредиаковский
• Василий Тредиаковский – Мое сердце все было в страсти by Василий Тредиаковский
• Василий Тредиаковский – Леший и мужик by Василий Тредиаковский
• Василий Тредиаковский – К почтению, льзя объявить любовь by Василий Тредиаковский
• Василий Тредиаковский – Дворы там весьма суть уединенны by Василий Тредиаковский
• Василий Тредиаковский – Будь жестока, будь упорна by Василий Тредиаковский
• Василий Жуковский – Деревенский сторож в полночь by Василий Жуковский
• Василий Жуковский – Цветок by Василий Жуковский
• Василий Жуковский – Человек by Василий Жуковский
• Василий Жуковский – Был у меня товарищ by Василий Жуковский
• Василий Жуковский – Бородинская годовщина by Василий Жуковский

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