Poem “Stranger” by Alexander Blok in English with English and Russian side by side

Lire en Français

Русская литература – Русская поэзия – Стихи Александра Блока
Littérature Russe – Poésie Russe – Poèmes par Alexandre Blok
Russian Literature – Russian Poetry – Poems by Alexander Blok

< < < L’Ange Gardien (Ru/Fr) /Guardian angel (Ru/Eng) / Ангел-хранитель (Рус/Анг.)
Le petit lièvre (Ru/Fr) /The little hare (Ru/Eng) / Зайчик (Рус/Анг.) / (Рус/ Фра.) > > >

Short analysis of the poem “Stranger” by Alexander Blok
Painting “Illumination in St. Petersburg” by Fyodor Vasilyev
Explanation of a few words
Translation of the poem “Stranger” by Alexander Blok in English with English and Russian side by side

Short analysis of the poem “Stranger” by Alexander Blok

Alexander Blok wrote the poem “stranger” after his wife left him causing him to be crushed by despair and spending whole days of binge drinking in dirty and cheap establishments. It reflects the author’s feelings and reflections during hard time for himself and an attempt to find a way out of his bad situation.

In this poem the author describes the gloomy atmosphere of a dirty restaurant. where nothing changes and the monotony and meaninglessness drives you crazy. But hope for deliverance to our lyrical hero in the form of a mysterious stranger. This woman passing between the drunken rows comes from a pure and bright world and looking at her and smelling her perfume, the poet understands the horror of his situation and in his dreams, he flies away and begins a new life.

The ending of the poem is ambiguous and can be interpreted in two different manners. It can be that he was not like the drunks around him and realized that he still had a “spiritual treasure” that he had the right to dispose of, or it could have simply be a drunken delirium followed by a severe hangover

Painting “Illumination in St. Petersburg” by Fyodor Vasilyev

Explanation of a few words

дик: short masculine singular of ди́кий (wild)

Уклю́чина
Oarlock

Translation of the poem “Stranger” by Alexander Blok in English with English and Russian side by side

Незнакомка – Александр Блок	Stranger – Alexander Blok

	Translated by Akirill.com

По вечерам над ресторанами	In the evenings above the restaurants
Горячий воздух дик и глух,	The hot air is wild and deaf,
И правит окриками пьяными	And rules on the drunken shouts
Весенний и тлетворный дух.	The spirit of spring and perniciousness.

Вдали над пылью переулочной,	Far above the dust of the alley,
Над скукой загородных дач,	Above the boredom of country houses,
Чуть золотится крендель булочной,	The bakery’s pretzel is slightly golden,
И раздается детский плач.	And a child’s cry is heard.

И каждый вечер, за шлагбаумами,	And every evening, behind the barriers,
Заламывая котелки,	Wringing their Bowler hat
Среди канав гуляют с дамами	Walk with the ladies among the ditches
Испытанные остряки.	Jokers wits.

Над озером скрипят уключины	Oarlocks creak over the lake
И раздается женский визг,	And a woman’s squeal is heard,
А в небе, ко всему приученный	And in the sky, accustomed to everything
Бессмысленно кривится диск.	The disk curves senselessly.

И каждый вечер друг единственный	And every evening my only friend
В моем стакане отражен	Is reflected in my glass
И влагой терпкой и таинственной	And tart and mysterious moisture
Как я, смирен и оглушен.	Is like me, humbled and stunned.

А рядом у соседних столиков	And next to the neighboring tables
Лакеи сонные торчат,	Sleepy lackeys hang around,
И пьяницы с глазами кроликов	And drunkards with rabbit eyes
«In vino veritas!»* кричат.	“In vino veritas!”* they shout.

И каждый вечер, в час назначенный	And every evening, at the appointed hour
(Иль это только снится мне?),	(Or is it just a dream for me?),
Девичий стан, шелками схваченный,	The maiden’s figure, captured by silks,
В туманном движется окне.	In the foggy window is moving.

И медленно, пройдя меж пьяными,	And slowly, walking between the drunken,
Всегда без спутников, одна	Always without companions, alone
Дыша духами и туманами,	Breathing spirits and mists,
Она садится у окна.	She sits by the window.

И веют древними поверьями	And they breathe ancient beliefs
Ее упругие шелка,	Her elastic silks
И шляпа с траурными перьями,	And hat with mourning feathers,
И в кольцах узкая рука.	And the rings on her narrow hand.

И странной близостью закованный,	And chained by a strange intimacy,
Смотрю за темную вуаль,	I look behind the dark veil,
И вижу берег очарованный	And I see the enchanted shore
И очарованную даль.	And the enchanted distance.

Глухие тайны мне поручены,	Silent secrets have been entrusted to me,
Мне чье-то солнце вручено,	Someone’s sun was handed to me,
И все души моей излучины	And all the corners of my soul
Пронзило терпкое вино.	Tart wine pierced.

И перья страуса склоненные	And ostrich feathers bowed
В моем качаются мозгу,	In my brain swing,
И очи синие бездонные	And blue bottomless eyes
Цветут на дальнем берегу.	Bloom on the far shore.

В моей душе лежит сокровище,	There’s a treasure in my soul
И ключ поручен только мне!	And the key is entrusted only to me!
Ты право, пьяное чудовище!	You’re right, drunken monster!
Я знаю: истина в вине.	I know: the truth is in the wine.

24 апреля 1906	April 24, 1906

* In vino veritas! — Истина — в вине! (лат.)	* In vino veritas! – The truth is in the wine! (lat.)

We put a lot of effort into the quality of the articles and translations, support us with a like and a subscription or sponsor us if you like them. We are also on Facebook and Twitter

Русская литература – Русская поэзия – Стихи Александра Блока – Устаревшие русские слова и их значение
Littérature Russe – Poésie Russe – Poèmes par Alexandre Blok – Mots russes obsolètes et leur signification
Russian Literature – Russian Poetry – Poems by Alexander Blok – Obsolete Russian Words and their meaning

Check out our Last Posts

Short analysis of the poem “Stranger” by Alexander Blok

Painting “Illumination in St. Petersburg” by Fyodor Vasilyev

Explanation of a few words

Translation of the poem “Stranger” by Alexander Blok in English with English and Russian side by side

Leave a comment Cancel reply