Text & Translation
Ja videl inogda
Russian source:
Mikhail Lermontov
V zerkal’nom zalive blestit,
Kak trepeshchet v struyakh i serebyranyi prakh
Ot neyo, rassypayas’, bezhit.
No poimat’ ty ne l’stis’ i lovit’ ne beris’:
Obmanchivy luch i volna.
Mrak teni tvoei tol’ko lyazhet na nei –
Otodyosh’ – i zableshchet ona.
Svetloi radosti tak bespokoinyi prizrak
Nas manit pod khladnoyu mgloi.
Ty k nemu – on shutya ubezhit ot tebya…
Ты обманут: он вновь пред тобой.
At times I have seen
English translation ©
Philip Ross Bullock
Shining in the mirror of the gulf,
And I have seen the silvery wavelets, quivering like dust,
And scattering as they flee from her.
But do not think to catch her, or plan on taking hold:
The light and the waves deceive.
The darkness of your shadow will cover her –
But if you step back – she will shine one more.
And so the restless phantom of radiant joy
Entices us in the cold gloom.
But if you approach it, it will run away in jest…
You are deceived: it is there, in front of you once again.
Ja videl inogda
Russian source:
Mikhail Lermontov
At times I have seen
English source:
Philip Ross Bullock
Ya vidal inogda, kak nochnaya zdevzda
At times I have seen the star at night
V zerkal’nom zalive blestit,
Shining in the mirror of the gulf,
Kak trepeshchet v struyakh i serebyranyi prakh
And I have seen the silvery wavelets, quivering like dust,
Ot neyo, rassypayas’, bezhit.
And scattering as they flee from her.
No poimat’ ty ne l’stis’ i lovit’ ne beris’:
But do not think to catch her, or plan on taking hold:
Obmanchivy luch i volna.
The light and the waves deceive.
Mrak teni tvoei tol’ko lyazhet na nei –
The darkness of your shadow will cover her –
Otodyosh’ – i zableshchet ona.
But if you step back – she will shine one more.
Svetloi radosti tak bespokoinyi prizrak
And so the restless phantom of radiant joy
Nas manit pod khladnoyu mgloi.
Entices us in the cold gloom.
Ty k nemu – on shutya ubezhit ot tebya…
But if you approach it, it will run away in jest…
Ты обманут: он вновь пред тобой.
You are deceived: it is there, in front of you once again.
Composer
Anton Arensky
Anton Arensky was a Russian composer of Romantic classical music, a pianist and a professor of music.
