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On the pale-blue enamel

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← More tender than tender On the pale-blue enamel… ~ На бледно-голубой эмали…
written by Osip Mandelstam 		[[]] →
PD (1)
[1]. From Stone (No. 6). See also Poems. Translated from Russian by A. S. Kline. The source: www.tonykline.co.uk.



* * *


On the pale-blue enamel,
that April can bring,
birch branches’ imperceptible
sway, slipped towards evening.

A network of finely etched lines,
is the pattern’s finished state,
the carefully-made design,
like that on a porcelain plate,

the thoughtful artist set,
on the glazed firmament,
oblivious to sad death,
knowing ephemeral strength.


1909

Notes

  1. ↑ First printed in the Almanac (1915) and 2nd edition of "Stone" (1916 [1915]).

    (English) This work is in the public domain in Canada, but may still be copyrighted in the USA and some countries in Europe. It is the responsibility of the user to determine whether the works are in the public domain in his or her respective country.

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© A. S. Kline, translation. Can be reproduced if non-commercial.

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