kalvin dot life

I’ve been on a journey this year to learn the Russian language.

Through this I’ve been exposed to a lot of Russian culture, including prominent writers and poets. Everyone knows the famous writers Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, but less well known in the west (though I believe more well known in Russia) is the poet Pushkin.

Although I am by no means fluent, I’ve attempted to translate one of his poems that spoke to me deeply. You can listen to a reading of the original here or here to get a feeling for the external and internal rhyme scheme.

A amateur student of Russian can by no means compare to the genius of Pushkin in his native language, yet I hope my translation does it some justice, if only in terms of the heart.

Я вас любил: любовь еще, быть может,
В душе моей угасла не совсем;
Но пусть она вас больше не тревожит;
Я не хочу печалить вас ничем.
Я вас любил безмолвно, безнадежно,
То робостью, то ревностью томим;
Я вас любил так искренно, так нежно,
Как дай вам бог любимой быть другим.

I loved you; and maybe I still do.
It lingers in my soul, not yet extinguished.
But nomore let it distress you,
Let nothing else sadden you, is all I’ve wished.
I loved you; silently, hopelessly.
That shyness, that jealousy tormented.
I loved you; sincerely, gently.
Let God give you another, to love you in my stead.

You can find other translations of this poem here and here, and rate yourself which is the best. Feel free to reach out. I want to know what you think and what you feel. We all have emotions inside us, and poetry can sometimes bring them out more clearly than any other way.