Tag: love poem

My Favorite Pushkin Poem

Viktoria Nikola12 Comments

Like the typical Russian, I love Pushkin’s work. It’s so profound and heartbreaking and it captures the very essence of all tortured souls. Unfortunately, it’s really difficult to translate and make it sound as good in English as it sounds in Russian. Nonetheless, I tried. Here’s my favorite Puskin poem, translated by yours truly.

The Angel

By the gates of Eden, an Angel, gentle

Shone with his softly drooping head,

And in the darkness a Demon, rebel

Over the hellish ravine fled

The sp’rit of doubt and of negation

Looked at the other one of good

And in a flame of forced elation

For the first time, he understood

“Pardon,” he said, “but I have seen you

And not in vain you’ve shined me light

Not all in heaven I had hated,

Not all on earth I had despised.”

Alexander Pushkin

Translated by Viktoria Nikola

A Confession

Viktoria Nikola1 Comment

 

Let towers fall, let bridges crumble

Let thunder roar and lightning flash

Let comets strike, volcanoes rumble

Let heaven turn to ash

Let worlds collide, gravity surrender

Let Armageddon scream its strife

Let illness plague; let gold lose splendor

Let death rule over life




Let shackles break of all the Titans

Let chains of hell lose all their might

Let Hades vanquish Mount Olympus

Let darkness be our sight

Let stars lose foresight of what’s fated

Let every color be one hue

Let hate be loved, let love be hated

And even then…

I’d still love you




Viktoria Nikola




2013