# Poems (Pushkin, Panin, 1888)/Poems of Love

Poems of Love.
THE STORM-[MAID].
IV. 146.
Hast thou seen on the rock the maid, In robe of white above the waves, When seething in the storm dark Played the sea with its shores,— When the glare of lightning hourly With rosy glimmer her lighted up, And the wind beating and flapping Struggled with her flying robe?
Beautiful 's the sea in the storm dark, Glorious is the sky even without its blue; But trust me: on the rock the maid Excels both wave, and sky, and storm.
1825.
THE BARD.
III. 43.
Have ye heard in the woods the nightly voice Of the bard of love, of the bard of his grief? When the fields in the morning hour were still, The flute's sad sound and simple Have ye heard?
Have ye met in the desert darkness of the forest The bard of love, the bard of his grief? Was it a track of tears, was it a smile, Or a quiet glance filled with melancholy, Have ye met?
Have ye sighed, listening to the calm voice Of the bard of love, of the bard of grief? When in the woods the youth ye saw And met the glance of his dulled eyes, Have ye sighed?
1816.
SPANISH LOVE-SONG.
IV. 136.
Evening Zephyr Waves the ether. Murmurs, Rushes The Guadalquivir.
Now the golden moon has risen, Quiet, … Tshoo … guitar 's now heard.… Now the Spanish girl young O'er the balcony has leaned.
Evening Zephyr Waves the ether. Murmurs, Rushes The Guadalquivir.
Drop thy mantle, angel gentle, And appear as fair as day! Thro' the iron balustrade Put thy wondrous tender foot!
​Evening Zephyr Waves the ether. Murmurs, Rushes The Guadalquivir.
1824.
[LOVE.]
IV. 152.
Bitterly groaning, jealous maid the youth was scolding; He, on her shoulder leaning, suddenly was in slumber lost. Silent forthwith is the maid; his light sleep now fondles she Now she smiles upon him, and is shedding gentle tears.
1835.
[JEALOUSY.]
IV. 85.
Damp day's light is quenched: damp night's darkness Stretches over the sky its leaden garment. Like a ghost, from behind the pine wood Foggy moon has risen.… All brings upon my soul darkness grievous. Far, far away rises the shining moon, There the earth is filled with evening warmth There the sea moveth with luxuriant wave Under the heavens blue.… Now is the time. On the hillside now she walks To the shore washed by noisy waves. There, under the billowed cliffs Alone she sits now melancholy.… Alone … none before her weeping, grieves not, Her knees none kisses in ecstasy. Alone … to lips of none she is yielding ​Her shoulders, nor moist lips, nor snow-white fingers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . None is worthy of her heavenly love. Is it not so? Thou art alone.… Thou weepest.… And I at peace?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . But if . . . . . . . .
1823.
IN AN ALBUM.
IV. 99.
The name of me, what is it to thee Die it shall like the grievous sound Of wave, playing on distant shore, As sound of night in forest dark.
Upon the sheet of memory Its traces dead leave it shall Inscriptions-like of grave-yard In some foreign tongue.
What is in it? Long ago forgotten In tumultuous waves and fresh To thy soul not give it shall Pure memories and tender.
But on sad days, in calmness Do pronounce it sadly; Say then: I do remember thee— On earth one heart is where yet I live!
1829.
THE AWAKING.
III. 42.
Ye dreams, ye dreams, Where is your sweetness? Where thou, where thou joy of night? Disappeared has it, The joyous dream; And solitary In darkness deep I awaken. Round my bed Is silent night. At once are cooled, At once are fled, All in a crowd The dreams of Love— Still with longing The soul is filled And grasps of sleep The memory. О Love, О Love, О hear my prayer: ​Again send me Those visions thine, And on the morrow Raptured anew Let me die Without awaking!
1816.
ELEGY.
III 39.
Happy who to himself confess His passion dares without terror; Happy who in fate uncertain By modest hope is fondled; Happy who by foggy moonbeams Is led to midnight joyful And with faithful key who gently The door unlocks of his beloved.
But for me in sad my life No joy there is of secret pleasure; Hope's early flower faded is, By struggle withered is life's flower. Youth away flies melancholy, And droop with me life's roses; But by Love tho' long forgot, Forget Love's tears I cannot.
1816.
[FIRST LOVE.]
I. 112.
Not at once our youth is faded, Not at once our joys forsake us, And happiness we unexpected Yet embrace shall more than once; But ye, impressions never-dying Of newly trepidating Love, And thou, first flame of Intoxication,— Not flying back are coming ye!
ELEGY.
III. 99.
Hushed I soon shall be. But if on sorrow's day My songs to me with pensive play replied; But if the youths to me, in silence listening At my love's long torture were marvelling; But if thou thyself, to tenderness yielding Repeated in quiet my melancholy verses And didst love my heart's passionate language; But if I am loved:—grant then, О dearest friend, That my beautiful beloved's coveted name Breathe life into my lyre's farewell. When for aye embraced I am by sleep of Death, Over my urn do with tenderness pronounce: "By me he loved was, to me he owed Of his love and song his last inspiration."
1821.
THE BURNT LETTER.
IV. 87.
Good-bye, love-letter, good-bye! 'T is her command.… How long I waited, how long my hand To the fire my joys to yield was loath!… But eno', the hour has come: burn, letter of my love! I am ready: listens more my soul to nought. Now the greedy flame thy sheets shall lick… A minute!… they crackle, they blaze … a light smoke Curls and is lost with prayer mine. Now the finger's faithful imprint losing Burns the melted wax.… О Heavens! Done it is! curled in are the dark sheets; Upon their ashes light the lines adored Are gleaming.… My breast is heavy. Ashes dear, In my sorrowful lot but poor consolation, Remain for aye with me on my weary breast.…
1825.
[SING NOT, BEAUTY.]
IV. 135.
Sing not, Beauty, in my presence, Of Transcaucasia sad the songs, Of distant shore, another life, The memory to me they bring.
Alas, alas, remind they do, These cruel strains of thine, Of steppes, and night, and of the moon And of distant, poor maid's features.
The vision loved, tender, fated, Forget can I, when thee I see But when thou singest, then before me Up again it rises.
Sing not, Beauty, in my presence Of Transcaucasia sad the songs, Of distant shore, another life The memory to me they bring.
1828.
SIGNS.
IV. 125.
To thee I rode: living dreams then Behind me winding in playful crowd; My sportive trot my shoulder over The moon upon my right was chasing.
From thee I rode: other dreams now.… My loving soul now sad was, And the moon at left my side Companion mine now sad was.
To dreaming thus in quiet ever Singers we are given over; Marks thus of superstition Soul's feeling with are in accord!
1829.
A PRESENTIMENT.
IV. 97.
The clouds again are o'er me, Have gathered in the stillness; Again me with misfortune Envious fate now threatens. Will I keep my defiance? Will I bring against her The firmness and patience Of my youthful pride?
Wearied by a stormy life I await the storm fretless Perhaps once more safe again A harbor shall I find.… But I feel the parting nigh, Unavoidable, fearful hour, To press thy hand for the last time I haste to thee, my angel.
​Angel gentle, angel calm, Gently tell me: fare thee well. Be thou grieved: thy tender gaze Either drop or to me raise. The memory of thee now shall To my soul replace The strength, the pride and the hope, The daring of my former days!
1828.
[IN VAIN, DEAR FRIEND.]
III. 221.
In vain, dear friend, to conceal I tried The turmoil cold of my grieving soul; Now me thou knowest; goes by the intoxication. And no longer thee I love.… Vanished for aye the bewitching hours, The beautiful time has passed, Youthful desires extinguished are And lifeless hope is in my heart.…
[LOVE'S DEBT.]
IV. 101.
For the shores of thy distant home Thou hast forsaken the foreign land; In a memorable, sad hour I before thee cried long. Tho' cold my hands were growing Thee back to hold they tried; And begged of thee my parting groan The gnawing weariness not to break.
But from my bitter kisses thou Thy lips away hast torn; From the land of exile dreary Calling me to another land. Thou saidst: on the day of meeting Beneath a sky forever blue Olives' shade beneath, love's kisses Again, my friend, we shall unite.
But where, alas! the vaults of sky Shining are with glimmer blue, ​Where 'neath the rocks the waters slumber— With last sleep art sleeping thou. And beauty thine and sufferings In the urnal grave have disappeared— But the kiss of meeting is also gone.… But still I wait: thou art my debtor!…
INVOCATION.
III. 146.
Oh, if true it is that by night When resting are the living And from the sky the rays of moon Along the stones of church-yard glide; O, if true it is that emptied then Are the quiet graves, I call thy shade, I wait my Lila Come hither, come hither, my friend, to me!
Appear, О shade of my beloved As thou before our parting wert: Pale, cold, like a wintry day Disfigured by thy struggle of death, Come like unto a distant star, Or like a fearful apparition, 'T is all the same: Come hither, come hither
And I call thee, not in order To reproach him whose wickedness My friend hath slain. ​Nor to fathom the grave's mysteries, Nor because at times I 'm worn With gnawing doubt … but I sadly Wish to say that still I love thee, That wholly thine I am: hither come, О hither!
1828.
ELEGY.
IV. 100.
The extinguished joy of crazy years On me rests heavy, like dull debauch. But of by-gone days the grief, like wine In my soul the older, the stronger 't grows. Dark my path. Toil and pain promised are me By the Future's roughened sea.
But not Death, О friends, I wish! But Life I wish: to think and suffer; Well I know, for me are joys in store 'Mid struggles, toils, and sorrows: Yet 'gain at times shall harmony drink in And tears I'll shed over Fancy's fruit,— Yet mayhap at my saddened sunset Love will beam with farewell and smile.
1830.
SORROW.
III. 69.
Ask not why with sad reflection 'Mid gayety I oft am darkened, Why ever cheerless eyes I raise, Why sweet life's dream not dear to me is; Ask not why with frigid soul I joyous love no longer crave, And longer none I call dear: Who once has loved, not again can love; Who bliss has known, ne'er again shall know; For one brief moment to us 't is given: Of youth, of joy, of tenderness Is left alone the sadness.
1817.
DESPAIR.
III. 41.
Dear my friend, we are now parted, My soul 's asleep; I grieve in silence. Gleams the day behind the mountain blue, Or rises the night with moon autumnal,— Still thee I seek, my far off friend, Thee alone remember I everywhere, Thee alone in restless sleep I see. Pauses my mind, unwittingly thee I call; Listens mine ear, then thy voice I hear.
And thou my lyre, my despair dost share, Of sick my soul companion thou! Hollow is and sad the sound of thy string, Grief's sound alone hast not forgot.… Faithful lyre, with me grieve thou! Let thine easy note and careless Sing of love mine and despair, And while listening to thy singing May thoughtfully the maidens sigh!
1816.
A WISH.
III. 38.
Slowly my days are dragging And in my faded heart each moment doubles All the sorrows of hopeless love And heavy craze upsets me. But I am silent. Heard not is my murmur. Tears I shed … they are my consolation; My soul in sorrow steeped Finds enjoyment bitter in them. О flee, life's dream, thee not regret I! In darkness vanish, empty vision! Dear to me is of love my pain, Let me die, but let me die still loving!
1816.
[RESIGNED LOVE.]
IV. 99.
Thee I loved; not yet love perhaps is In my heart entirely quenched But trouble let it thee no more; Thee to grieve with nought I wish. Silent, hopeless thee I loved, By fear tormented, now by jealousy; So sincere my love, so tender, May God the like thee grant from another.
[LOVE AND FREEDOM.]
III. 157.
Child of Nature and simple, Thus to sing was wont I Sweet the dream of freedom— With tenderness my breast it filled.
But thee I see, thee I hear— And now? Weak become I. With freedom lost forever With all my heart I bondage prize.
[NOT AT ALL.]
IV. 118.
I thought forgotten has the heart Of suffering the easy art; Not again can be, said I Not again what once has been.
Of Love the sorrows gone were, Now calm were my airy dreams.… But behold! again they tremble Beauty's mighty power before!…
[INSPIRING LOVE.]
IV. 117.
The moment wondrous I remember Thou before me didst appear Like a flashing apparition, Like a spirit of beauty pure.
'Mid sorrows of hopeless grief, 'Mid tumults of noiseful bustle, Rang long to me thy tender voice, Came dreams to me of thy lovely features.
Went by the years. The storm's rebellious rush The former dreams had scattered And I forgot thy tender voice, I forgot thy heavenly features.
In the desert, in prison's darkness, Quietly my days were dragging; No reverence, nor inspiration, Nor tears, nor life, nor love.
​But at last awakes my soul: And again didst thou appear: Like a flashing apparition, Like a spirit of beauty pure.
And enraptured beats my heart, And risen are for it again Both reverence, and inspiration And life, and tears, and love.
1825.
[THE GRACES.]
III. 160.
Till now no faith I had in Graces: Seemed strange to me their triple sight; Thee I see, and with faith am filled Adoring now in one the three!