I was searching some Russian web sites for info about my family name, and accidentally came across a photo-blog in Cyrillic. It looked interesting, so I did a Google translation and found a poem about the start of the long Rusky winter. Of course, the translation was klunky. So I tried some other on-line translators, and the results were somewhat different. But still klunky — in a charming sort of way. Two of the words just didn’t translate, but I put my best guesses in brackets. But as to that “necessary disk”, you’re on your own there.
Here are four Americanized versions of this ode to the start of the long Russian winter. Despite the syntactical static, you still get the idea. I don’t have any similar thoughts for mid-December in New Jersey, where the temps currently oscillating between the low 20s and high 40s. All I can say is that I’ll take our prosaic late autumn over their poetic early winter, any day!
Dec. 1, 2007
This silence and coziness in the soul, which even does not be desirable to lie down to sleep. You control snowflakes in the lantern light and you begin to breathe flatter and it is calmer… You namurlykivayesh [sing?] to itself tikhonechko [song?], through the word, through time the song, which now would listen to….no the laziness to search for necessary disk… With the winter you… Let it will be bright and comfortable…
Such silence and comfort in the soul that does not even want to fall sleep. Witnesses for the lamppost in white light and you start breathing smoother and calmer … Namurlykivaesh [sing?] imagine tihonechko [song?] through the floor, through the courtesy song, which now would poslushala [listen] …. but Laziness go desired disk … In winter you … Let it be bright and comfortable …
Such silence and coziness in a shower that would not be desirable to go to bed at all. You observe of snowflakes in lantern light and you start to breathe more exactly and more easy… Намурлыкиваешь [sing?] to itself very quietly, through a word, through steps песенку [song?] which now would listen…. But laziness to search for the necessary disk… With a winter you… Let it will be light and cozy …
This silence and coziness in the soul, which even does not be desirable to lie down to sleep. You control snowflakes in the lantern light and you begin to breathe flatter and it is calmer … You namurlykivaesh [sing?] to itself tikhonechko [song?], through the word, through time the song, which now it would listen to….but laziness to search for necessary disk … With the winter you… Let it be bright and comfortable …
Jim, I agree the poem, if that is what it is, is beautiful. But I also think I see looming, just under the surface of the beauty of the winter, the only too possible chance that one will freeze to death. E.g., 1) the soul that “does not want to lie down to sleep” (lest one freeze to death). 2) the “breathing that becomes smoother and calmer” (the presage to falling asleep and thus freezing to death). 3) The “do not go to bed at all” (because you then might fall asleep, leading again to freezing to death).
I see this as a celebration of the beauty of the deep cold of winter but also a warning to be careful, it’s so easy to die in the type of winter described.
Having experienced Chicago and Midwest winters for my entire life, I can relate to the underlying message of being very careful when one is out in such deep cold. And I presume Chicago winters are nothing compared to what I’m taking to be Russian (or Siberian?) winters.
MCS
Comment by Anonymous — December 8, 2007 @ 12:24 pm
Jim, I agree the poem, if that is what it is, is beautiful. But I also think I see looming, just under the surface of the beauty of the winter, the only too possible chance that one will freeze to death. E.g., 1) the soul that “does not want to lie down to sleep” (lest one freeze to death). 2) the “breathing that becomes smoother and calmer” (the presage to falling asleep and thus freezing to death). 3) The “do not go to bed at all” (because you then might fall asleep, leading again to freezing to death).
I see this as a celebration of the beauty of the deep cold of winter but also a warning to be careful, it’s so easy to die in the type of winter described.
Having experienced Chicago and Midwest winters for my entire life, I can relate to the underlying message of being very careful when one is out in such deep cold. And I presume Chicago winters are nothing compared to what I’m taking to be Russian (or Siberian?) winters.
MCS
Comment by Anonymous — December 8, 2007 @ 12:24 pm