Who Can Be Happy and Free in Russia? Part 40

Shall we have gold enough? 390 Shall we have strength enough?

Questioned the Tsar.

"(Thou art so pitiful, Poor, and so sorrowful, Yet thou art powerful, Thy wealth is plentiful, Russia, my Mother!)

"By misery chastened, By serfdom of old, The heart of thy people, 400 O Tsar, is of gold.

"And strong were the nation, Unyielding its might, If standing for conscience, For justice and right.

"But summon the country To valueless strife, And no man will hasten To offer his life.

"So Russia lies sleeping 410 In obstinate rest;-- But should the spark kindle That's hid in her breast--

"She'll rise without summons, Go forth without call, With sacrifice boundless, Each giving his all!

"A host she will gather Of strength unsurpa.s.sed, With infinite courage 420 Will fight to the last.

"(Thou art so pitiful, Poor, and so sorrowful, Yet of great treasure full, Mighty, all-powerful, Russia, my Mother!)"

Young Grisha was pleased With his song; and he murmured.

"Its message is true; I will sing it to-morrow 430 Aloud to the peasants.

Their songs are so mournful, It's well they should hear Something joyful,--G.o.d help them!

For just as with running The cheeks begin burning, So acts a good song On the spirit despairing, Brings comfort and strength."

But first to his brother 440 He sang the new song, And his brother said, "Splendid!"

Then Grisha tried vainly To sleep; but half dreaming New songs he composed.

They grew brighter and stronger....

Our peasants would soon Have been home from their travels If they could have known What was happening to Grisha: 450 With what exaltation His bosom was burning; What beautiful strains In his ears began chiming; How blissfully sang he The wonderful anthem Which tells of the freedom And peace of the people.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Many years later, after his mother's death, Nekra.s.sov found this letter among her papers. It was a letter written to her by her own mother after her flight and subsequent marriage. It announced to her her father's curse, and was filled with sad and bitter reproaches: "To whom have you entrusted your fate? For what country have you abandoned Poland, your Motherland? You, whose hand was sought, a priceless gift, by princes, have chosen a savage, ignorant, uncultured.... Forgive me, but my heart is bleeding...."

[2] Priest.

[3] Landowner.

[4] The peasants a.s.sert that the cuckoo chokes himself with young ears of corn.

[5] A kind of home-brewed cider.

[6] _Laput_ is peasants' footgear made of bark of saplings.

[7] Priest

[8] New huts are built only when the village has been destroyed by fire.

[9] The lines of asterisks throughout the poem represent pa.s.sages that were censored in the original.

[10] There is a superst.i.tion among the Russian peasants that it is an ill omen to meet the "pope" when going upon an errand.

[11] Landowners

[12] Dissenters in Russia are subjected to numerous religious restrictions. Therefore they are obliged to bribe the local orthodox pope, in order that he should not denounce them to the police.

[13] There is a Russian superst.i.tion that a round rainbow is sent as a sign of coming dry weather.

[14] _Kasha_ and _stchee_ are two national dishes.

[15] The mud and water from the high lands on both sides descend and collect in the villages so situated, which are often nearly transformed into swamps during the rainy season.

[16] On feast days the peasants often p.a.w.n their clothes for drink.

[17] Well-known popular characters in Russia.

[18] Each landowner kept his own band of musicians.

[19] The halting-place for prisoners on their way to Siberia.

[20] The tax collector, the landlord, and the priest.

[21] Fire.

[22] Popular name for Petrograd.

[23] The primitive wooden plough still used by the peasants in Russia.

[24] Three pounds.

[25] Holy pictures of the saints.

[26] The Russian nickname for the bear.

[27] Chief of police.

[28] An administrative unit consisting of a group of villages.

[29] The end of the story is omitted because of the interference of the Censor.

[30] A three-horsed carriage.

[31] The Pomyeshchick is still bitter because his serfs have been set free by the Government.