Thread: Среди миров (И. Ф. Анненский)

Hello! Здравствуйте!

If anybody would be so kind to translate a few words from a poem and explain a few things, I'd greatly appreciate it. I'm aiming to learn the beautiful Russian language through poems, besides other methods.

Also, I'm from Serbia, so I don't need the translation of the whole poem (but that doesn't mean I need less help, on the contrary - maybe I don't get some parts right by mixing it up with my language). However, if anybody is willing, translating the whole poem may be of help to others.


Here is the poem:

Cреди миров

Среди миров, в мерцании светил
Одной Звезды я повторяю имя…
Не потому, чтоб я Её любил,
А потому, что я томлюсь с другими.

И если мне сомненье тяжело,
Я у Неё одной ищу ответа,
Не потому, что от Неё светло,
А потому, что с Ней не надо света.

Иннокентий Фёдорович Анненский


Please:
1) What does в мерцании светил mean? And where are the accents?
2) Why чтоб (Не потому, чтоб я Её любил) and not что as in other cases?
3) What does томлюсь mean? And what is its infinitive form?
4) What does И если мне сомненье тяжело mean? Is it сомненье or сомнение?
5) What is the infinitive form of ищу? And what does it mean?
6) What does от Неё светло mean?


Thank you!

Hi!

1) What does в мерцании светил mean? And where are the accents?
=> в мерцАнии светИл
=> Here "светила" is the equivalent of "звёзды". If you look at the stars they seem to be twinkling (an optical illusion). Мерцание = twinkling.

2) Why чтоб (Не потому, чтоб я Её любил) and not что as in other cases?
=> чтоб = что+бы = что
=> I don't think it's a very specific case, it's probably just an outdated style more appropriate in poetry than in the normal speech. I think if you'd use "что" here it would be just as fine as "чтоб".

3) What does томлюсь mean? And what is its infinitive form?
=> томиться
=> Literary, "томиться" means "being slow cooked".
=> here it means "bored". Томлюсь с другими = I get bored with the others.
=> However, it can also mean "yearn for someone". For example (33b.ru

Я ею томлюсь-
Хоть уже непредвзято

=> The key to distinguish between those cases (bored and yearn) is the usage of "with" = "с". Think about you're being slowly cooked with someone (=in a presence of someone) or being slowly cooked by [the virtue of wishing to be with] someone (=in a lack of someone).

4) What does И если мне сомненье тяжело mean? Is it сомненье or сомнение?
=> Yes, сомненье = сомнение. A bit outdated form, very appropriate in poetry.

5) What is the infinitive form of ищу? And what does it mean?
=> It's "искать" = "look for something"

6) What does от Неё светло mean?
=> It means "she is a source of light".

Не потому, что от Неё светло, => It's not because she's shiny,
А потому, что с Ней не надо света. => But because I don't need to shine myself (= I can just be myself) when I'm with her.

Hope it helps.

My Star

Among the worlds, I was shining in the twinkling
Of a star I repeat the name.
Not because I loved her,
But because I feel in the dark with others.

And if my heart feels pain,
She'll be the only one I'll seek for an answer.
Not because she's radiating light,
But because, when she's here, there's no need for light!

Russian → English Moya Zvezda (Моя звезда) lyrics - Alexander Vertinsky lyrics translations

______________________________

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Qi9vy9izeA

One of the strangest translations I've even seen. What is "I was shining in the twinkling" supposed to mean? Does that purplelunacy speak Russian?

EDIT: No, she in fact does not! http://lyricstranslate.com/en/translator/purplelunacy

Ok, that translation outraged me a little. Here's my take on it. (As usual, the language corrections are welcomed!

The one and only name my lips repeat,
The Star among the twinkling worlds high upper…
It's not because I love my Star with heat -
With Her alone does heart of mine not suffer.

And every time tough questions caused me grief
With Her alone my soul the answers pleaded,
It's not because She shines in full belief -
When I'm with Her the constant shine not needed.

(c) => ( )

Мне кажется, "чтоб" употреблено потому, что он её не любил.

Originally Posted by Marcus

Мне кажется, "чтоб" употреблено потому, что он её не любил.

I think you're right.

Thank you all! Спасибо! Хвала!

Of course it helps.