My Life

Poetry Appendix

POETRY APPENDIX poetry appendix 1023 (Russian-language poems written by or alluded to by Sofia Andreevna Tolstaya in My life)1 i.5 Traditional quatrain (author and date unknown) i.7 A witticism (1850s) by Sofia Andreevna Tolstaya i.12 From the play The crow in the peacock’s plumes (author and date unknown) ii.26 When I’m rich (1864) by Afanasij Afanas’evich Fet ii.40 A ditty by Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy ii.40 Go tell her… (1857) by N. F. Dolgorukov ii.74 I loved you so (1829) by Aleksandr Sergeevich Pushkin iii.84 A ditty dedicated to daughter Tanja (1881) by Sofia Andreevna Tolstaya iii.84 Concluding stanza of a poem by Sofia Andreevna Tolstaya addressed to Lev Nikolaevich et al. iii.117 A ditty (1882) by Sofia Andreevna Tolstaya iii.117 & iv.80 Whisperings (1850) by Afanasij Afanas’evich Fet iii.117 & iv.80 A parody on Fet’s poem Whisperings (1882) by Tat’jana Andreevna Kuzminskaja iii.140 A ‘letter-box’ ditty (1883) by an unknown author iv.23 When with a wearied step (1884) by Afanasij Afanas’evich Fet iv.37 A poem on a portrait of Sofia Andreevna Tolstaya (1885) by Afanasij Afanas’evich Fet iv.37 Response (1885) to Fet’s poem by Sofia Andreevna Tolstaya iv.37 & viii.6 To Countess S. A. Tolstaya (1866) by Afanasij Afanas’evich Fet iv.41 A witticism (1885) by Tat’jana Andreevna Kuzminskaja iv.41 A witticism (1885) by Sergej L’vovich Tolstoy iv.73 A letter in verse to Sofia Andreevna Tolstaya (1886) by Mikhail Aleksandrovich Stakhovich iv.80 My farewell (1886) by Sofia Andreevna Tolstaya iv.80 The prophet (1886) by Sofia Andreevna Tolstaya iv.80 Ode to Yasnaya Polyana (1886) by Sofia Andreevna Tolstaya iv.80 A witticism (1886) by Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy iv.85 The farewell (1830) by Aleksandr Sergeevich Pushkin iv.114 A poem addressed to Il’ja L’vovich Tolstoy (1887) by Tat’jana Andreevna Kuzminskaja iv.114 For the 28th of June (1887) by an unknown author iv.115 To an old friend (Strakhov) (1887) by an unknown author iv.118 The dawning day (1887) by Afanasij Afanas’evich Fet iv.121 The little herd (1887) by Mikhail Aleksandrovich Stakhovich v.7 The prophet (1841) by Mikhail Jur’evich Lermontov v.8 To Countess S. A. Tolstaya (1889) by Afanasij Afanas’evich Fet v.31 A poem on the occasion of dining at Fet’s (1889) by Sergej Semënovich Urusov v.98 O, thou prophetic soul of mine (1864) by Fëdor Ivanovich Tjutchev v.108 To *** (1825) by Aleksandr Sergeevich Pushkin vi.43 If you’re cheered by the morning (1887) by Afanasij Afanas’evich Fet vi.43 To Death (1884) by Afanasij Afanas’evich Fet vi.43 Your suff’ring’s o’er (1878) by Afanasij Afanas’evich Fet viii.13 On the death of Lëvushka (1900–01) by Lev L’vovich Tolstoy 1 These poems are given in their original Russian along with an English translation (by John Woodsworth) in the order in which they appear in the text (identified by chapter number). poetry appendix 1024 Traditional quatrain (author and date unknown) (Chapter i.5) С тобой вдвоём, коль счастлив я, When I’m with you, I’m happy and hale, Поёшь ты лучше соловья, You sing more sweetly than a nightingale. И ключ по камешкам течёт, Spring water flows over many a stone, К уединенью нас влечёт. And leads us to where we are alone. A witticism (1850s) by Sofia Andreevna Tolstaya (Chapter i.7) Рубашка грязная спустилась A filthy dirty shirt hung clearly С её прежирного плеча, From her fatty shoulder down. И перед зеркалом садилась And so she sat before the mirror Она зевая и ворча, и т. д. And yawned and yawned and grumbled on, etc. From the play The crow in the peacock’s plumes [Vorona v pavlin’ikh per’jakh] (author & date unknown) (Chapter i.12) Лишь вошёл, от всех поклон, People treat you like a queen, Ласка и приятство, Loving hugs and kisses, Вот что значит миллион, This is what a million means, Что значит богатство. What is meant by riches. … … Мамашенька, Парашенька, Mamashen’ka, Parashen’ka, Пожалуйте ручки, Hold your hands like tic-tacs, Прелестные, чудесные, I’ll give you all the flashiest Подарю вам штучки. Charming little knick-knacks. poetry appendix 1025 When I’m rich (1864) by Afanasij Afanas’evich Fet (Chapter ii.26) Я повторял: «Когда я буду I said again: “Now when I shall Богат, богат! Be rich, be rich! К твоим серьгам по изумруду — Your earrings will have fancy emeralds — Какой наряд!» Yes, one to each!” Тобой любуясь ежедневно, Admiringly, I waited daily, Я ждал, — но ты — But you, it seems, Всю зиму ты встречала гневно All winter long kept crossly railing Мои мечты. On all my dreams. И только этот вечер майский And only now has life impressed me Я так живу, This eve in May, Как будто сон овеял райский As though heaven’s dream has just caressed us Нас наяву. By light of...