Poetry
My main Russian page is here. Webpage on RuStih.
English
Collection "Anachoresis" is available on Amazon
The book of 154 sonnets of 2017 can be downloaded here. The book of English poems of 2016 can be downloaded here. The 2007's pdf-book of English poems can be downloaded here.
Twitting on this occasionally.
Russian
The first e-book (2006) of Russian poems can be downloaded here. The second Russian e-book (2015) can be downloaded here. The third Russian e-book (2016) can be downloaded here.
French
I am very grateful to Joelle Charbonnier and Sylvain Boyer for their translations of a few sonnets into French:
XXIX
La mort s’aperçoit de loinAvant même tout signe de décrépitude ;A cette fin prévisibleNous pouvons dûment nous préparer.
D’abord apprendre à dominer sa crainte (de la mort),Puis apprendre à accepter ses faiblesses.La vieillesse est parfois pire que la fin,Et certains y préfèrent un brusque départ Les technologies nous font miroiterL’illusion de la durée,La quarantaine est leurrée par la certitudeQui promet une éternelle jeunesse
Cependant, personne n'échappe au sort communEncore quelques décades pour l’homme, tout au plus!
LVII
Dans nos histoires amoureuses, le déclin physiqueInfluence nos émotions et nos attaches (à l’être aimé)Certains signes sont douloureux et aigusComme des griffures sur un parchemin fragile.
Même les couples les plus épris sont pris à leur détriment ;Ils ne reconnaissent plus leur passion ;Ce qui était naturel et sincère s’estompeEt ne fait plus de sens.
Certains couples continuent à porter haut le flambeau,Attitude que fait parfois l'objet de sarcasmes.Ces heureux élus maintiennent leur passion l’un pour l’autre ;Passion qui ne peut être ni trahie ni corrompue.
Si vous êtes assez chanceux pour en être à ce stade de l’amourProlongez chaque nuit, prolongez chaque tendre baiser.
Gustav Mahler said that "tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire". I try to preserve that fire in writing, as I have been learning from the great artists of the past.
In London in the Southbank, there is a monument of Chopin with his saying: "Simplicity is the highest goal achievable when you have overcome all difficulties." This is absolutely true about any art. It is interesting that in Russian words "simplicity" and "freedom" are etymologically connected: "to simplify" has the same root as "to free". Simplicity is freedom from complication!
Some translations
I started translating some Russian poems into English for friends
"Good should have fists"
Good should have fists, and tail, and pointed horns,
And hoofs, and a beard, fur-covered and feisty;
We hear its stomp, we see its breathing burns,
One day it'll come for us to bring to justice!
Look, here it comes, preparing for a fight,
With poison running from the tusks to ground,
The tail is whipping rough and shaggy sides,
It's howling and its horns are touching cloud.
My friend, I wish you Good (as well as health),
My verse reminds you: Good is good at munching;
And in the night, we'll hear your piercing "Help!"
That's followed by a chewing sound, and crunching...
"Ballade of a learned cat"
Once, a young cat decided to hunt,
With skills to catch a mouse;
He studied theory for a start
Of a rat- and mice-free house.
He got some monographs on rats,
Subscribed to the weekly "Rodents",
Attended a training course for cats,
Read volumes of "House wardens".
Obtained a British foliant
"Mouse vs cat", of the 30s -
Translated from a Russian chant
Renamed from "Mice & kittens".
He learnt for months without a pause,
Could integrate with ease,
Yet, hadn't seen a single mouse
That he could catch and tease...
He wouldn't be worried with that,
As such a learning base
Equipped him with the up-to-date
Skills for the mouse race.
After three years of studying hard,
Without seeing a mouse,
Our cat was ready for a hunt,
Applying rules of Gauss.
He went to hunt; in paws he
Was carrying a drawing case,
A notebook with a printed Phi,
And a bag for future mice.
Wait wasn't long; a little mouse
Appeared in the hole...
The cat derived parallax,
Assuming mouse as a ball;
Then estimated spectral class,
Type, volume, mass and speed -
Derived density of mouse,
Weight in CGS units.
The task was simple for the chap:
As a draft, he quickly got
The force required for jump
Of a freely moving cat.
Cat whispers: "You will not escape
From the prepared paws"
But lo! At the expected rate
There is no projected mouse!
While cat was calculating path,
The object moved away -
What a delusional kerfuffle:
The mouse got its way!
As such, a theory may serve
As a helpful instrument -
But proper practice does deserve
Attention and respect.
"Among the worlds"
Among the worlds, in light of many stars,
I keep repeating name of only vesper,
I wouldn't say that I'm that much in love,
But it's so dark when I don't hear her whisper.
And when the doubts get heavier for me,
I seek the answer from her dear brightness -
That's not because it's lighter near her:
I need no light in presence of her rightness.
"From Goethe"
Mountain tops
Sleep in the night darkness,
Silent valleys
Are full of fresh mist.
The road is not dusty,
The leaves are still -
Wait a little,
You will get some rest, too.
