The Boatman

Vasily Andreyevich Zhukovsky 1783 (village of Mishenskoe) – 1852



Driven by misfortune's whirlwind,
Having neither oar nor rudder,
By a storm my bark was driven
Out upon the boundless sea.
'midst black clouds a small star sparkled;
'Don't conceal yourself!' I cried;
But it disappeared, unheeding;
And my anchor was lost, too.

All was clothed in gloomy darkness;
Great swells heaved all round;
In the darkness yawned the depths
I was hemmed in by cliffs.
'There's no hope for my salvation!'
I bemoaned, with heavy spirit…
Madman! Providence
Was your secret helmsman.

With a hand invisible,
'midst the roaring waves,
Through the gloomy, veiled depths
Past the terrifying cliffs,
My all-powerful savior guided me.
Then-all's quiet ! gloom has vanished;
I behold a paradisical realm…
Three celestial angels.

Providence - O, my protector!
My dejected groaning ceases;
On my knees, in exaltation,
On their image I did gaze.
Who could sing their charm?
Or their power o'er the soul?
All around them holy innocence
And an aura divine.

A delight as yet untasted -
Live and breathe for them;
Take into my soul and heart
All their words and glances sweet.
O fate! I've but one desire:
Let them sample every blessing;
Vouchsafe them delight - me suffering;
Only let me die before they do.

Плове ;ц

Вихрk 7;м бедстви я гонимый ,
Без кормила и весла,
В океан неисход имый
Бу 088;я челн мой занесла .
В тучах звездоч ка светила сь;
'Не скрывай ся!' - я взывал;
&# 1053;епрекл&# 1086;нная сокрыла сь;
Якор&# 1100; был - и тот пропал.
Все оделось черной мглою:
В&# 1089;колыха&# 1083;ися валы;
Бе&# 1079;дны в мраке предо мною;
Вк&# 1088;уг ужасные скалы.
'Н& #1077;т надежды на спасень е!' -
Я роптал, уныв душой...
О безумец! Провиде нье
Был 086; тайный кормщик твой.

Нk 7;видимоn 2; рукою,
С&# 1082;возь ревущие валы,
Ск&# 1074;озь одеты бездны мглою
И грозящи е скалы,
М&# 1086;щный вел меня храните ль.
Вдру&# 1075; - все тихо! мрак исчез;
В&# 1080;жу райскую обитель ...
В ней трех ангелов небес.

i 4; спаси
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

3:29 min read
144

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCDXXEF XXGHCXIX XXGHDXXX BXCXXXIX AXXXBEEF J J JJ JJJJ J JJJ JJJ J
Closest metre Iambic dimeter
Characters 4,560
Words 696
Stanzas 8
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 16, 8, 1

Vasily Andreyevich Zhukovsky

Vasily Andreyevich Zhukovsky was the foremost Russian poet of the 1810s and a leading figure in Russian literature in the first half of the 19th century. more…

All Vasily Andreyevich Zhukovsky poems | Vasily Andreyevich Zhukovsky Books

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