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No. 4 & 5

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A. S. Pushkin  

Translated from the Russian by  J. Kates  

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RAVEN TO RAVEN ON THE WING 
 

This is Pushkin’s adaptation of “The Twa Corbies.” I don’t know how Pushkin acquired his source, but his version makes subtle and very pushkinian changes. The disloyal hound of the original is changed into a disloyal horse (and a female horse at that, which underlines the sexuality of the event) — in Russian culture, the loyal horse in folklore occupies the place of  the English “man’s best friend.”  I don’t know of any other translation that echoes and acknowledges the original English source. 
 

Raven to raven on the wing, 
Raven to raven questioning: 
Raven, where shall we break our fast? 
What kind of supper's to your taste?" 
Raven to raven, "An open field 
there is, where we can take our meal. 
Under a willow and out of sight 
I know there lies a new-slain knight. 
"No one knows by whom or why 
This noble knight was left to die 
But his falcon and his raven mare 
And his youthful lady fair." 
The falcon's flown among the willows, 
No friend of his bestrides the filly, 
And the lady waits for her beloved, 
Not for the slain, but someone living. 
 

TO THE PRINCESS GOLITZYNA 

with the gift of his ode "Freedom" 
A simple student of nature 
such as I was, proclaimed 
a splendid dream of freedom 
and sweetly breathed its air. 
But I see you, take your part, 
And what?.. such a feeble creature!.. 
Having given up freedom forever 
I adore with a captive heart.
 

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