Subject
Re: Post Script to [NABOKOV-L] cithereal mollitude (Verses and
Versions)
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From
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Dear Jansy,
изнеженный , “iznezhennyj”, derived from “nezhnyi” (soft, tender, delicate, gentle), generally means pampered, sybaritic, softened; it also could (when directed to a male) mean effete, effeminate, emasculate, girly. (“Nezhnoe ditya”, “a gentle child”, is a cliché).
An archaic noun of the same root, “nega” (which VN translated as “mollitude”) is Pushkin’s landmark.
We do not use “nega” in modern Russian, but “iznezhennyj” and “nezhnyi” (and also related verbs “nezhit’” and “nezhit’sya”, to mollify/pamper somebody or yourself) are standard vocabulary. There is also a mildly derogatory “nezhenka” (for which the dictionary gives: molly, sissy, coddle, mollycoddle).
In Eugene Onegin, Pushkin uses , “iznezhennyj” twice : for Tatyana’s fingers that “never knew a needle” ; and when he calls Onegin’s perfume a “delight of pampered feelings” (chuvstv iznezhennykh otrada). It is hard here to draw the line between “pampered”, “softened”, and ‘”soft”.
In this context Tatyana’s fingers are rather just soft, “not hardened” since she did not have to sew, than actively “softened”.
In Pushkin’s “Vol’nost”, as in a larger Russian poetical context, “iznezhennyj” has clearly a Greek, Roman, or Byzanthine connection, taking on modern age being too sybaritic and decadent.
Very famous are Lermontov’s lines in his passionate “The Poet”, where he clearly echoes Pushkin’s ode; see below, with “iznezhennyj” translated as “tame”:
“V nash vek iznezhennyi ne tak li ty, poet…” etc
(In our tame age, ah poet, think how you
Have lost significance...
Exchanged for gold that power which hitherto
Commanded reverence!)
Hope this helps,
Victor
From: Vladimir Nabokov Forum [mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU] On Behalf Of jansymello
Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2008 10:08 AM
To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
Subject: [NABOKV-L] Post Script to [NABOKOV-L] cithereal mollitude (Verses and Versions)
Inspite of all the clues, technological help and explanations, I'm still at a loss.
I'm trying to find out what, in Russian, from Pushkin's Vol'nost' (in the lines translated as "break the lyre of mollitude") corresponds to "mollitude" and learn a little more about its employ in this poem.
From Brian Boyd's www.nabokovversesandversions.ac.nz<http://www.nabokovversesandversions.ac.nz>
ВОЛЬНОСТЬ[cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0][cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0][cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0][cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0][cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0][cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0][cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0][cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0]VÓL’NOST’
Ода [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image009.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] Óda
1 ......................................... ......................................
4 [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] Свободы гордая певица? — [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image010.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] Svobódï górdaya Pevítsa? —
[cid:image011.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0]Приди, сорви с меня венок, [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image010.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] Pridí, sorví s menyá venók,
[cid:image011.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0]Разбей изнеженную лиру, [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] Razbéy iznézhennuyu líru —
[cid:image011.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0]Хочу воспеть Свободу миру, [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image012.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] Hochú vospét’ Svobódu míru
8 [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] На тронах поразить порок.[cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0][cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0][cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0][cid:image013.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0]Na trónah porazít’ porók.
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All private editorial communications, without exception, are read by both co-editors.
изнеженный , “iznezhennyj”, derived from “nezhnyi” (soft, tender, delicate, gentle), generally means pampered, sybaritic, softened; it also could (when directed to a male) mean effete, effeminate, emasculate, girly. (“Nezhnoe ditya”, “a gentle child”, is a cliché).
An archaic noun of the same root, “nega” (which VN translated as “mollitude”) is Pushkin’s landmark.
We do not use “nega” in modern Russian, but “iznezhennyj” and “nezhnyi” (and also related verbs “nezhit’” and “nezhit’sya”, to mollify/pamper somebody or yourself) are standard vocabulary. There is also a mildly derogatory “nezhenka” (for which the dictionary gives: molly, sissy, coddle, mollycoddle).
In Eugene Onegin, Pushkin uses , “iznezhennyj” twice : for Tatyana’s fingers that “never knew a needle” ; and when he calls Onegin’s perfume a “delight of pampered feelings” (chuvstv iznezhennykh otrada). It is hard here to draw the line between “pampered”, “softened”, and ‘”soft”.
In this context Tatyana’s fingers are rather just soft, “not hardened” since she did not have to sew, than actively “softened”.
In Pushkin’s “Vol’nost”, as in a larger Russian poetical context, “iznezhennyj” has clearly a Greek, Roman, or Byzanthine connection, taking on modern age being too sybaritic and decadent.
Very famous are Lermontov’s lines in his passionate “The Poet”, where he clearly echoes Pushkin’s ode; see below, with “iznezhennyj” translated as “tame”:
“V nash vek iznezhennyi ne tak li ty, poet…” etc
(In our tame age, ah poet, think how you
Have lost significance...
Exchanged for gold that power which hitherto
Commanded reverence!)
Hope this helps,
Victor
From: Vladimir Nabokov Forum [mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU] On Behalf Of jansymello
Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2008 10:08 AM
To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
Subject: [NABOKV-L] Post Script to [NABOKOV-L] cithereal mollitude (Verses and Versions)
Inspite of all the clues, technological help and explanations, I'm still at a loss.
I'm trying to find out what, in Russian, from Pushkin's Vol'nost' (in the lines translated as "break the lyre of mollitude") corresponds to "mollitude" and learn a little more about its employ in this poem.
From Brian Boyd's www.nabokovversesandversions.ac.nz<http://www.nabokovversesandversions.ac.nz>
ВОЛЬНОСТЬ[cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0][cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0][cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0][cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0][cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0][cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0][cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0][cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0]VÓL’NOST’
Ода [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image009.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] Óda
1 ......................................... ......................................
4 [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] Свободы гордая певица? — [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image010.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] Svobódï górdaya Pevítsa? —
[cid:image011.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0]Приди, сорви с меня венок, [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image010.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] Pridí, sorví s menyá venók,
[cid:image011.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0]Разбей изнеженную лиру, [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] Razbéy iznézhennuyu líru —
[cid:image011.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0]Хочу воспеть Свободу миру, [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] [cid:image012.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] Hochú vospét’ Svobódu míru
8 [cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0] На тронах поразить порок.[cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0][cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0][cid:image008.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0][cid:image013.png@01C95AD8.C52398D0]Na trónah porazít’ porók.
Search the archive<http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=en%0d%0a>
Contact the Editors<mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu>
Visit "Nabokov Online Journal"<http://www.nabokovonline.com>
Visit Zembla<http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm>
View Nabokv-L Policies<http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm>
Manage subscription options<http://listserv.ucsb.edu/>
All private editorial communications, without exception, are read by both co-editors.
