Translation of Poem by Afanasy Fet Афанасий Фет, "Я пришёл к тебе с приветом," "I come to you at break of day,"

 

Altman, "Landscape in Blue"

One of Fet’s early lyric poems; written when he was twenty-three. This charming, exuberant poem remains among his most popular to this very day.

 

Афанасий Фет

(1820-1892)

 

Я пришёл к тебе с приветом,
Рассказать, что солнце встало,
Что оно горячим светом
По листам затрепетало;

Рассказать, что лес проснулся,
Весь проснулся, веткой каждой,
Каждой птицей встрепенулся
И весенней полон жаждой;

Рассказать, что с той же страстью,
Как вчера, пришёл я снова,
Что душа всё так же счастью
И тебе служить готова;

Рассказать, что отовсюду
На меня весельем веет,
Что не знаю сам, что́ буду
Петь — но только песня зреет.

 

1843

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Literal Translation

I have come to you with a greeting,

To tell of how the sun has risen,

That how with its ardent light

It has begun flickering over the leaves;

 

To tell you that the forest has awakened,

All of it, each twig has awakened,

And has with every flitter of bird begun fluttering,

And is full of vernal craving;

 

To tell you that, just as yesterday,

With the same passion I have come [to you] again,

That my soul still is just as happy,

Ready to serve you anew;

 

To tell you that from everywhere

Joy wafts out over me,

That I myself don’t know what I’ll sing,

But song within me already ripens.

 

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Literary Translations/Adaptations by U.R. Bowie

Variant One (Best)

 I come to you at break of day,

To greet you with the news: life’s up!

Her fervent sunlight flickers gay

O’er leaf and fresh spring buttercup.

 

To tell you that the woods have woke,

On every branch and twig they sing,

Each bird’s flit-feather, tweets convoke

Assemblages that thirst for spring.

 

To say that, just as yesterday,

As ardor’s slave I come to you,

That steeped in happiness at play,

I’ll serve you, palliate your rue;

 

To tell you that from God knows where

Ecstatic joy wafts through my veins;

I know not yet what song I’ll air,

But deep inside I nurse refrains.

 

Variant Two (Second Best)

 

I come to you with daybreak greeting,

To tell you of the risen sun,

Of how its rays, with shade competing,

Across the glints of foliage run;  

 

To tell you that the woods have woken,

With every branch and twig that sing,

Each feather-flit of bird a token

Of nature’s yearning thirst for spring; 

 

To say that, just as yesterday,

With fervidness I come to you,

That steeped in glee and bliss at play,

My soul will palliate your rue;

 

To tell you that from God knows where

Contentment wafts through all my veins,

I know not yet what song I’ll air,

But deep inside I nurse refrains.

                                                               Levitan, "Birch Grove"

 Declamation of the poem on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7Kcli0z9sg&ab_channel=ruslovoruslovo