Thread: Mayakovsky....

Барабан,
рояль раскроя ли,
но чтоб грохот был,
чтоб гром.


I need a transation, I'm kind of confused

Though i know this poem, i doubt that i can give the right explanation...
Hm...

"Thoght the piano might be splitted in halfs, let it be crash and rumble."

"раскроя" -- деепричастие from "раскроить" -- to cut apart.

Roughly, this verse mean something like:

(Either) you'll break apart drum, (or) you'll break apart royal piano -- let it crash, let it rumble.

Thank you both!

Originally Posted by Scorpio

"раскроя" -- деепричастие from "раскроить" -- to cut apart.

Roughly, this verse mean something like:

(Either) you'll break apart drum, (or) you'll break apart royal piano -- let it crash, let it rumble.

I think it is much simpler. Раскроя in this case is from раскрывать (open). When you open a grand piano (lift the top deck) it sounds much louder. [/b]

Originally Posted by MikeM

Originally Posted by Scorpio

"раскроя" -- деепричастие from "раскроить" -- to cut apart.

Roughly, this verse mean something like:

(Either) you'll break apart drum, (or) you'll break apart royal piano -- let it crash, let it rumble.

I think it is much simpler. Раскроя in this case is from раскрывать (open). When you open a grand piano (lift the top deck) it sounds much louder. [/b]

I think you are wrong.
This case from раскрывать (open) would be "раскрывая".

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

This case from раскрывать (open) would be "раскрывая".

I think раскрывая is imperfective form while раскроя is perfective. More common form of this word would be раскрыв or открыв, but this is a poem and the poets don't always choose commonly used words...

I might be wrong, but breaking apart the piano doesn't seem to make much sense in the context of the poem...

Originally Posted by MikeM

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

This case from раскрывать (open) would be "раскрывая".

I think раскрывая is imperfective form while раскроя is perfective. More common form of this word would be раскрыв or открыв, but this is a poem and the poets don't always choose commonly used words...

I might be wrong, but breaking apart the piano doesn't seem to make much sense in the context of the poem...

Well, Mayakovsky says:
На улицу тащите рояли,
барабан из окна багром!
Барабан,
рояль раскроя ли,
но чтоб грохот был,
чтоб гром.
It doesn't seem he's going to play 'em. And if you are right (though your version is not sounds believable, IMHO) the stress might be раскроя. And you can't "to open" a drum.

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

Well, Mayakovsky says:
На улицу тащите рояли,
барабан из окна багром!
Барабан,
рояль раскроя ли,
но чтоб грохот был,
чтоб гром.
It doesn't seem he's going to play 'em. And if you are right (though your version is not sounds believable, IMHO) the stress might be раскроя. And you can't "to open" a drum.

Well I have to admit I didn't remember what Mayakovsky wrote and didn't check it... I stand corrected.