Eugene Onegin. Book I Stanzas 3

PUSHKIN'S POEMS

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Lermontov

EUGENE ONEGIN

(In this edition he is called Yevgeny Onegin).

BOOK 1 STANZAS 3-5

The Russian text is printed both in image format, and as plain Russian script. Errors in the Image version I hope have been corrected in the plain text below. Two or three stanzas are printed on each page, with the English translation alongside.

A dandy of 1823. The collar is otter. See below for an enlargement.

Служив отлично-благородно,
Долгами жил его отец,
Давал три бала ежегодно
И промотался наконец.
Судьба Евгения хранила:
Сперва Madame за ним ходила,
Потом Monsieur ее сменил.
Ребенок был резов, но мил.
Monsieur l'Abbé, француз убогой,
Чтоб не измучилось дитя,
Учил его всему шутя,
Не докучал моралью строгой,
Слегка за шалости бранил
И в Летний сад гулять водил.

III
Having served his country faithfully
His father lived a life of debt.
He gave a regular ball thrice yearly
And at last bankrupted himself.
But fate took Yevgeny in hand:
First Madame was his governess,
Then Monsieur took over the task.
The child was lively, but biddable.
Monsieur l'Abbé, a meagre Frenchman,
To spare the boy from weariness
Taught everything lightheartedly,
And spared him stern morality,
Scolded his pranks with a hint of anger,
And in the Summer Garden let him wander.

Когда же юности мятежной
Пришла Евгению пора,
Пора надежд и грусти нежной,
Monsieur прогнали со двора.
Вот мой Онегин на свободе;
Острижен по последней моде;
Как dandy лондонский одет -
И наконец увидел свет.
Он по-французски совершенно
Мог изъясняться и писал;
Легко мазурку танцевал
И кланялся непринужденно;
Чего ж вам больше? Свет решил,
Что он умен и очень мил.

IV
But when the tumultuous yearnings
Of youth descended on Yevgeny,
A time of hope and tender longings,
Monsieur was sent packing hastily.
And now my Onegin found his freedom:
For, barbered in the latest fashion,
And clothed like a London dandy
He at last went into society.
He spoke French with absolute ease
And perfection, and wrote it too,
Danced the mazurka with delicacy
And made acquaintance easily;
What more do you wish? The beau monde said
'The fellow's a gem and quite well read'.

Мы все учились понемногу
Чему-нибудь и как-нибудь,
Так воспитаньем, слава богу,
У нас немудрено блеснуть.
Онегин был, по мненью многих
(Судей решительных и строгих)
Ученый малый, но педант:
Имел он счастливый талант
Без принужденья в разговоре
Коснуться до всего слегка,
С ученым видом знатока
Хранить молчанье в важном споре
И возбуждать улыбку дам
Огнем нежданных эпиграмм.

V
We all have studied by bits and pieces
Something or other and this and that;
So with this learning, God be thanked,
It is not difficult to make a splash.
Onegin was, in the opinion of many,
(Critics both stern and even incisive)
A studious fellow, but somewhat cranky.
He had that very happy knack
In conversation to be carefree,
To touch on everything in passing lightly,
And with an expert's look and bearing
To keep silent when the talk grew heavy
And to make the women smile and admire
An epigram's unexpected fire.