Sunday, July 18, 2010

Lermontov - The Angel (1831)

An angel was flying through midnight's deep blue,
And softly he sang as he flew;
The moon, and the clouds, and the stars in a throng
All listened: in heavenly song

He sang of the blessings of souls without sin
In the gardens of Paradise; hymns
To God the almighty he sang, and his praise
Was pure and completely unfeigned.

He carried toward earth, with its tears and its grief,
A soul just beginning its life;
And long, long thereafter the soul could still hear
The song he sang—wordless, but clear.

The soul languished long it is worldly attire,
Still knowing a wondrous desire;
And that heavenly music was never userped
By the wearisome songs of the earth.

translated by Guy Daniels, 1965, in 'A Lermontov Reader.'

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