Subject
Re: VN Epigram??/Translation (fwd)
Date
Body
>"Russkim poetam.
>
>Somnitel'na pechatnaya pechal'.
>Kto vzyal pero i razdobyl bumagu -
>Tot polon sil, i uzh ego ne zhal'.
>A zhal' na zhaloby poshedshuyu otvagu."
Rough Translation:
To Russian poets.
The genuineness of printed sadness is dubious
The one who picked up a pen and found paper
Is full of vigor and hardly deserves our pity
What is a pity is that one's daring is wasted on complaints.
I suspect it's about the melancholy nature of much poetry published in the
emigre papers at the time. I don't remember seeing the epigram in Rul' or
it being attributed to Sirin when I did my research for the Companion on
VN's uncollected criticism -- but it could've well been there. The
general flavor of VN's reviews of his contemporary emigre poets was quite
similar. He did think they complained and lamented too much.
Galya Diment
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
^ Galya Diment ^
^ Professor and Graduate Advisor ^
^ Slavic Languages and Literatures ^
^ University of Washington ^
^ Box 353580 ^
^ Seattle, WA 98195-3580 ^
^ Ph. 206-543-7344/206-543-6848 ^
^ Fax: 206-543-6009/206-522-1959 ^
^ ^
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
>Somnitel'na pechatnaya pechal'.
>Kto vzyal pero i razdobyl bumagu -
>Tot polon sil, i uzh ego ne zhal'.
>A zhal' na zhaloby poshedshuyu otvagu."
Rough Translation:
To Russian poets.
The genuineness of printed sadness is dubious
The one who picked up a pen and found paper
Is full of vigor and hardly deserves our pity
What is a pity is that one's daring is wasted on complaints.
I suspect it's about the melancholy nature of much poetry published in the
emigre papers at the time. I don't remember seeing the epigram in Rul' or
it being attributed to Sirin when I did my research for the Companion on
VN's uncollected criticism -- but it could've well been there. The
general flavor of VN's reviews of his contemporary emigre poets was quite
similar. He did think they complained and lamented too much.
Galya Diment
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
^ Galya Diment ^
^ Professor and Graduate Advisor ^
^ Slavic Languages and Literatures ^
^ University of Washington ^
^ Box 353580 ^
^ Seattle, WA 98195-3580 ^
^ Ph. 206-543-7344/206-543-6848 ^
^ Fax: 206-543-6009/206-522-1959 ^
^ ^
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^