Along my street for many years
I hear footsteps – my friends are leaving.
My friends’ slow leave
Is delightful to the darkness outside.
My friends’ affairs are unsettled,
There is no music at their homes, no singing.
And, just like before, Degas' girls
Are fixing their bluish feathers.
Well, well, not let the fear wake
You, defenceless, in the middle of this night.
To the deception, mysterious passion,
My friends, is blurring your sight.
Oh loneliness, how abrupt is your character!
Shining with an iron compass,
How coldly you close the circle,
Ignoring the useless convincement.
So summon and award me!
Your spoilt child, caressed by you,
I will be consoled, leaning on your chest
Will wash my face with your cold blueness.
Let me tiptoe in your forest,
On the other end of slowed down gesture
Find leaves and bring them to my face
And feel the orphanhood like pleasure.
Grant me the silence of your libraries,
Your concerts’ strict motives,
And – wise – I will forget all those
Who died and who are still living.
And I will learn the wisdom and the sorrow,
The objects will trust me with their secret meanings.
The nature, leaning on my shoulders,
Will declare its’ childish secrets.
And then – from the tears, and the darkness,
From poor ignorance of the past
My friends’ beautiful features
Will appear and disappear at last.
1959
Bella Akhmadulina
Comments
Hello, dear Natasha!
Thank you very much for your attention to my blog! I'm glad to see your review! And thank you for your advice! Your opinion is very valuable for me! This video is for you!
Hello, dear Karenina!
Thank you for your attention to my blog! I'm glad, that you like this poem. These lines by Bella Akhmadulina are very famous in Russia thanks to the film (comedy-drama) "The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!" by director Eldar Ryazanov. In this film there are many songs, accompanied on guitar. One of these songs is the poem by Akhmadulina. A famous Polish actress Barbara Brylska played the main role in this movie, and a famous Russian singer Alla Pugachova executed this song.
Inga,
You know I'm always willing to read Russian poems translated into English! Inimitable lines, an arresting looking woman - an author, a winter landscape resonant with poetic lines - all of these are combined greatly!
Hello, Nida and Judith!
Thank you for attention to my blog "New Year and Soul Solitude" (the poem by Bella Akhmadulina). I'm glad, that you like this poem. BellaAkhmadulina was a great Soviet poet, who wrote about love. She was a
Muslim.
Judith, you are right!
In holidays there are many suicides... I think, many lonely people feel their loneliness the most.
Nida, I think you will love the poems more, if you read good poems. You are very a very clever girl, I'm amazing by your intellect and you emotions - really - and I think, you like some poems! Thanks for your attentions again!
This is lovely Inga, thanks a lot for sharing!
Every word is mysterious and clear at the same time.
To be honest I don't have any sort of interest in poetry, but this poem is amazing. I admit that I can't understand it, but still it is wonderful to read it again and again.
These are my favorite lines!
Grant me the silence of your libraries,
Your concerts’ strict motives,
And – wise – I will forget all those
Who died and who are still living.
And
My friends’ beautiful featuresWill appear and disappear at last.
Thank you so much again dear Inga!
A Happy New Year to you!
Beautiful...
I think in this time of year there are many people happy because there are many parties, gifts, good food many celebrations, but the other side of coin it's in this time of year there are many suicides...
Jdth