Pushkin's Eugene Onegin. Book IV. Stanzas 15 -18.

PUSHKIN'S POEMS

This is the web site of Pushkin's poems

EUGENE ONEGIN

(In this edition he is called Yevgeny Onegin).

For ease of access the text is printed in image format, to avoid the problems of decoding Russian script. This unfortunately results in some loss of clarity. Three or four stanzas are printed on each page, with the English translation alongside.

BOOK IV Stanzas 15 - 18.

XV

For what in the world is worse than this:
A family, where the poor, neglected wife,
Complaining of her husband's turpitude,
Spends days and nights in solitude;
While the pestiferous man, knowing her worth,
(And cursing the hour of his birth),
Is ever gloomy, silent, sour,
Thunderous, angry, and jealously chill.
Such am I. Did you seek me, really, truly,
You with your pure and ardent mind,
When, with such artless simplicity,
Your letter disclosed to me your will?
Can it be that a lot so full of hate
Is appointed to you by the stern hand of fate?

XVI

There is no return of dreams or years;
I cannot replace my soul with another
I love you with the love of a brother,
And, possibly, even more tenderly.
So hear me, without rage or tears:
For a young girl there are always changes;
As one set of dreams replaces the last,
Like a tree which all its leaves exchanges
And re-clothes itself with each new spring.
For such is the fate that the heavens bring.
You will love again, but yet, but yet…
Learn self control, and do not forget,
Not all will understand you as I, or read you,
Inexperience to calamity can often lead you.

XVII

So preached Yevgeny to the girl.
She, through her tears, saw nothing at all,
Scarce breathing, without protestation,
Tatyana listened to the explanation.
He gave his arm to her. Then sadly,
(Or, as it is said, mechanically),
Tatyana silently leaned upon it,
Her dejected head cast down and heavy.
They returned to the house by the orchard path,
Appearing together at the garden door,
And no one thought to censure them:
For country freedom has its conventions
And pleasant rules for all to follow,
As haughty Moscow has also.

XVIII

You would agree, my reader, surely,
That our friend Yevgeny has behaved
With sad Tatyana sympathetically:
Not for the first time did he here reveal
His soul's innate nobility,
Although the world's inveterate spite
Would castigate him mercilessly:
His friends, not to mention his enemies,
(They are perhaps the self same thing),
Showed him respect off-handedly.
Everyone has enemies, it's true,
But from our friends, dear God, I shudder!
These friends, these friends, ah me! Ah me!
I do not invoke them dispassionately.

Lermontov

Other Pushkin

Eugene Onegin Book I

Book II

Book III

Book IV

Book V

BookVI

BookVII

BookVIII

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		XV For what in the world is worse than this: A family, where the poor, neglected wife, Complaining of her husband's turpitude, Spends days and nights in solitude; While the pestiferous man, knowing her worth, (And cursing the hour of his birth), Is ever gloomy, silent, sour, Thunderous, angry, and jealously chill. Such am I. Did you seek me, really, truly, You with your pure and ardent mind, When, with such artless simplicity, Your letter disclosed to me your will? Can it be that a lot so full of hate Is appointed to you by the stern hand of fate?
		XVI There is no return of dreams or years; I cannot replace my soul with another I love you with the love of a brother, And, possibly, even more tenderly. So hear me, without rage or tears: For a young girl there are always changes; As one set of dreams replaces the last, Like a tree which all its leaves exchanges And re-clothes itself with each new spring. For such is the fate that the heavens bring. You will love again, but yet, but yet… Learn self control, and do not forget, Not all will understand you as I, or read you, Inexperience to calamity can often lead you.
		XVII So preached Yevgeny to the girl. She, through her tears, saw nothing at all, Scarce breathing, without protestation, Tatyana listened to the explanation. He gave his arm to her. Then sadly, (Or, as it is said, mechanically), Tatyana silently leaned upon it, Her dejected head cast down and heavy. They returned to the house by the orchard path, Appearing together at the garden door, And no one thought to censure them: For country freedom has its conventions And pleasant rules for all to follow, As haughty Moscow has also.
		XVIII You would agree, my reader, surely, That our friend Yevgeny has behaved With sad Tatyana sympathetically: Not for the first time did he here reveal His soul's innate nobility, Although the world's inveterate spite Would castigate him mercilessly: His friends, not to mention his enemies, (They are perhaps the self same thing), Showed him respect off-handedly. Everyone has enemies, it's true, But from our friends, dear God, I shudder! These friends, these friends, ah me! Ah me! I do not invoke them dispassionately.