Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0027502, Wed, 6 Sep 2017 22:52:02 +0300

Subject
[a tall white fountain] ( mountain ) in [Pale Fire] -- and Jung
Date
Body
The phrase "pay attention" is absent from Pushkin's original:

Во дни веселий и желаний
Я был от балов без ума:
Верней нет места для признаний
И для вручения письма.
О вы, почтенные супруги!
Вам предложу свои услуги;
Прошу мою заметить речь:
Я вас хочу предостеречь.
Вы также, маменьки, построже
За дочерьми смотрите вслед:
Держите прямо свой лорнет!
Не то... не то, избави боже!
Я это потому пишу,
Что уж давно я не грешу.

VN's translation is very accurate:

In days of gaieties and desires
I was mad about balls:
there is no safer spot for declarations
and for the handing of a letter.
O you, respected husbands!
I'll offer you my services;
pray, mark my speech:
I wish to warn you.
You too, mammas: most strictly
follow your daughters with your eyes;
hold up your lorgnettes straight!
Or else... else - God forbid!
If this I write it is because
I have long ceased to sin.

Alexey Sklyarenko

-----Original Message-----
From: Vladimir Nabokov Forum [mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU] On Behalf Of Hen Hanna
Sent: Sunday, September 03, 2017 9:04 PM
To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
Subject: Re: [NABOKV-L] [a tall white fountain] ( mountain ) in [Pale Fire] -- and Jung

[Give me now Your full attention.] --- I hear this in VN's voice,
and i don't know why he's telling us this.


[Give me now Your full attention.] surprised me,
because this is straight out of EO (Onegin).

Johnston's I.29 is closer to it than VN's or Arndt's :


XXIX

In days of carefree aspirations,
the ballroom drove me off my head:
the safest place for declarations,
and where most surely notes are sped.
You husbands, deeply I respect you!
I'm at your service to protect you;
now pay attention, I beseech, <--------------------------
and take due warning from my speech.
You too, mamas, I pray attend it,
and watch your daughters closer yet,
yes, focus on them your lorgnette,
or else... or else, may God forfend it!
I only write like this, you know,
since I stopped sinning years ago.

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