Pushkin's Eugene Onegin. Book I Stanzas 51

PUSHKIN'S POEMS

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EUGENE ONEGIN

(In this edition he is called Yevgeny Onegin).

BOOK 1 STANZAS 51-53

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.

Онегин был готов со мною
Увидеть чуждые страны;
Но скоро были мы судьбою
На долгий срок разведены.
Отец его тогда скончался.
Перед Онегиным собрался
Заимодавцев жадный полк.
У каждого свой ум и толк:
Евгений, тяжбы ненавидя,
Довольный жребием своим,
Наследство предоставил им,
Большой потери в том не видя
Иль предузнав издалека
Кончину дяди-старика.

LI

Onegin with me had been ready of late
To travel and visit foreign lands;
But soon we were both by bitter fate
Split up and went our separate ways.
And at that time his father died.
Before Onegin there soon arrived
A greedy regiment of mortgagers,
Each with his claim and explanations.
Yevgeny, hating these complications
And satisfied with his lot so far
Offered them the full inheritance,
Seeing no great loss in such a stance,
Or else forseeing, though distant still,
His uncle's death and his uncle's will.

Вдруг получил он в самом деле
От управителя доклад,
Что дядя при смерти в постеле
И с ним проститься был бы рад.
Прочтя печальное посланье,
Евгений тотчас на свиданье
Стремглав по почте поскакал
И уж заранее зевал,
Приготовляясь, денег ради,
На вздохи, скуку и обман
(И тем я начал мой роман);
Но, прилетев в деревню дяди,
Его нашел уж на столе,
Как дань готовую земле.

LII

Then suddenly he received in fact
From his uncle's steward a notification
That on his death bed his uncle lay
And desired to give a farewell blessing.
Reading the sad epistle's message
Yevgeny immediately for the meeting
Set off post haste, and in the carriage
Yawned in advance, and making ready,
Prepared himself for the sake of money
To endure the sighs, deceit and boredom
(And that was where our tale began);
But, speeding up to his uncle's home
He found the body laid out on the table,
A tribute ready for its earthly burial.

Нашёл он полон двор услуги;
К покойнику со всех сторон
Съезжались недруги и други,
Охотники до похорон.
Покойника похоронили.
Попы и гости ели, пили,
И после важно разошлись,
Как будто делом занялись.
Вот наш Онегин сельский житель,
Заводов, вод, лесов, земель
Хозяин полный, а досель
Порядка враг и расточитель,
И очень рад, что прежний путь
Переменил на что-нибудь.

LIII

He found the household in full commotion.
For on the deceased from all sides had called
Both friends and foes showing devotion,
Or simply lovers of funerals.
They buried the body with due ceremony.
The priests and guests both ate and drank,
Then afterwards departed solemnly,
As if content with the business done.
Now our Onegin, a country dweller,
Of vine presses, waters, woods and fields
Becomes full master, but up till then
He had hated order, and was an idle waster.
But now he was glad that his former bent
Was changing to something different.