Specimens of the Russian Poetsauthor, sold, 1821 - 239 pages |
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Common terms and phrases
ages appear bard beams bear beauty bliss Bogdanovich born bosom breath bright called charms clouds dark death deep Dushenka earth eternal fables fair fall fame father fear field fire flower give glory glowing golden graceful grave hand happy harp hast head hear heard heart heaven heroes hill honour hope hurried language leaves life's light live look lost Midst mighty morning mountains mourn nature never night o'er original peace play poem poet poetry pride proud published rest rise rolls round Russian scattered seems shine sigh silent sleep smile soft song sorrow soul sound speak spirit spring stand stars storm stream strength sublime sweet tears thee thing thou thought thousand throne thunder tomb translated trembling turn voice volume wanderer waters waves wild winds wings youth
Popular passages
Page 4 - Thou eternal One, whose presence bright All space doth occupy, all motion guide, Unchanged through Time's all-devastating flight— Thou only God! There is no God beside! Being above all beings! Mighty One, Whom none can comprehend, and none explore...
Page 5 - And thought is lost ere thought can soar so high, Even like past moments in eternity. Thou from primeval nothingness didst call First chaos, then existence; — Lord!
Page 7 - Yes ! as a drop of water in the sea, All this magnificence in Thee is lost : — What are ten thousand worlds...
Page 87 - The oaks of the mountains fall ; the mountains themselves decay with years ; the ocean shrinks and grows again ; the moon herself is lost in heaven ; but thou art for ever the same rejoicing in the brightness of thy course. When the world is dark with tempests, when thunder rolls and lightning flies, thou lookest in thy beauty from the clouds, and laughest at the storm.
Page 78 - Now I behold the chiefs, in the pride of their former deeds! Their souls are kindled at the battles of old; at the actions of other times. Their eyes are flames of fire. They roll in search of the foes of the land, Their mighty hands are on their swords. Lightning pours from their sides of steel. They come like streams from the mountains; each rushes roaring from his hill. Bright are the chiefs of battle, in the armour of their fathers.
Page 86 - ... land of strangers. They have but fallen before us : for, one day, we must fall. Why dost thou build the hall, son of the winged days ? Thou lookest from thy towers to-day ; yet a few years, and the blast of the desert comes ; it howls in thy empty court, and whistles round thy half-worn shield. And let the blast of the desert come ! we shall be renowned in our day ! The mark of my arm shall be in battle ; my name in the song of bards.
Page 3 - O, THOU ETERNAL ONE ! whose presence bright All space doth occupy, all motion guide ; Unchanged through time's all-devastating flight ; Thou only God ! There is no God beside ! Being above all beings ! Mighty One Whom none can comprehend and none explore...
Page 7 - Yes! in my spirit doth Thy spirit shine As shines the sunbeam in a drop of dew.
Page 87 - When the world is dark with tempests, when thunder rolls and lightning flies, thou lookest in thy beauty from the clouds, and laughest at the storm. But to Ossian thou lookest in vain, for he beholds thy beams no more; whether thy yellow hair flows on the eastern clouds, or thou tremblest at the gates of the west. But thou art perhaps, like me, for a season; thy years will have an end. Thou shalt sleep in thy clouds careless of the voice of the morning.
Page 5 - Thy chains the unmeasured universe surround : Upheld by Thee, by Thee inspired with breath ! Thou the beginning with the end hast bound, And beautifully mingled life and death ! As sparks mount upwards from the fiery blaze, So suns are born, so" worlds spring forth from Thee; And as the spangles in the sunny rays Shine round the silver snow, the pageantry Of heaven's bright army glitters in Thy praise...