Skip to main content 

Но я предупреждаю вас…

By Anna Andreevna Akhmatova - Russia, 1889–1966
Concluding | Feminism, Revolution and Resistance, Identity

Но я предупреждаю вас,
No ya pryedoopryezhdayoo vas,

Что я живу в последний раз.
Chto ya zhivoo v poslyedniy raz.

Ни ласточкой, ни кленом,
Ni lastochkoy, ni klyenom,

Ни тростником и ни звездой,
Ni trostnikom i ni zvyezdoy,

Ни родниковою водой,
Ni rodnikovoyoo vodoy,

Ни колокольным звоном—
Ni kolokol’nim zvonom—

Не буду я людей смущать
Nye boodoo ya lyoodyey smooshshat’

И сны чужие навещать
I sni choozhiye navyeshshat’

Неутоленным стоном.
Nyeootolyennim stonom.

RUSSIAN
ROMANIZED
DEFINITION
POSSIBLE SYNONYMS
буду boodoo (v.) used to express an action that will take place in the future will, am going to, shall
чужие choozhiye (prep. + n.) belonging to those that are different from one already mentioned or known about of strangers, of others, of other people, of them, their
что chto (pron.) used to refer to someone or something already mentioned that
и i (conj.) in addition to and, plus, as well as
кленом klyenom (n.) a tall plant with a trunk and branches, and which produces sap maple tree
колокольным kolokol’nim (n.) hollow objects that widen at the lip and sound clear musical notes when struck bells, chimes, gongs, church bells
ласточкой lastochkoy (n.) any of numerous small, long-winged birds noted for their swift, graceful flight swallow, barn swallow, bank swallow, robin, bird
людей lyoodyey (n.) human beings in general; male human beings people, persons, souls; men, mankind, guys, gentlemen, fellows
навещать navyeshshat’ (v.) to be persistently and disturbingly present somewhere visit, haunt, assail, afflict, bother, vex, trouble, disturb
ни ni (conj.) used to introduce a following negative statement neither, not as, nor
но no (conj.) used to introduce something contrasting with what has already been mentioned but, yet, still, however, nonetheless, all the same
не nye (adv.) used to form the negative not
неутоленным nyeootolyennim (adj.) having unfulfilled expectations, needs, or desires hungry, lonesome, unsatisfied, complaining, displeased, insatiable, insistent, yearning
последний poslyedniy (adj.) coming at the end of a series last, final, uttermost, ultimate
предупреждаю pryedoopryezhdayoo (v.) to inform someone in advance of an impending or possible danger, problem, or other unpleasant situation warn, am warning, caution, advise, counsel, alert, inform, forewarn
раз raz (n.) an instance of something happening or being done time, occasion, instance, occurrence
родниковою rodnikovoyoo (n.) a place where liquid wells up from an underground source spring, creek, fountain, wellspring, geyser
смущать smooshshat’ (v.) to cause distress, inconvenience, or effort of any kind trouble, perplex, disturb, disconcert, bother, pester, burden, confuse
сны sni (n.) the thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in one’s mind during sleep dreams, reveries, sleep, slumber, shut-eye, rest
стоном stonom (n.) deep, inarticulate sounds made in pain or despair cries, moans, groans, howls, whimpers
тростником trostnikom (n.) the straight stalk of any of various tall grasses growing in marshes reed, cane, tule, cattail
в v (prep.) used to indicate duration of time or extent of space for
вас vas (pron.) referring to the person or people that the speaker is addressing you
водой vodoy (n.) a colorless, transparent, odorless liquid that forms seas, lakes, rivers, and rain water, H2O, lake, ocean, river
я ya (pron.) referring to the speaker I
живу zhivoo (v.) to remain alive; to remain in a specific place live, am living, exist, subsist, dwell, stay, reside
звоном zvonom (n.) a loud vibrating sound ringing, ring, jingle, sing, toll, clang, clank, peal, ding-dong
звездой zvyezdoy (n.) a fixed bright point in the sky star, heavenly body

Bio

Anna Andreyevna Gorenko (23 June 1889 – 5 March 1966), better known by the pen name Anna Akhmatova , was one of the most significant Soviet Russian poets of the 20th century. She was shortlisted for the Nobel Prize in 1965 and received second-most (three) nominations for the award the following year.

Akhmatova’s work ranges from short lyric poems to intricately structured cycles, such as Requiem (1935–40), her tragic masterpiece about the Stalinist terror. Her style, characterized by its economy and emotional restraint, was strikingly original and distinctive to her contemporaries. The strong and clear leading female voice struck a new chord in Russian poetry. Her writing can be said to fall into two periods – the early work (1912–25) and her later work (from around 1936 until her death), divided by a decade of reduced literary output. Her work was condemned and censored by Stalinist authorities, and she is notable for choosing not to emigrate and remaining in the Soviet Union, acting as witness to the events around her. Her perennial themes include meditations on time and memory, and the difficulties of living and writing in the shadow of Stalinism.

Primary sources of information about Akhmatova’s life are relatively scant, as war, revolution and the Soviet regime caused much of the written record to be destroyed. For long periods she was in official disfavor and many of those who were close to her died in the aftermath of the revolution. Akhmatova’s first husband, Nikolay Gumilyov, was executed by the Soviet secret police, and her son Lev Gumilyov and her common-law husband Nikolay Punin spent many years in the Gulag, where Punin died.

During the last years of Akhmatova’s life she continued to live with the Punin family in Leningrad, still translating, researching Pushkin and writing her own poetry. Though still censored, she was concerned to re-construct work that had been destroyed or suppressed during the purges or which had posed a threat to the life of her son in the camps, such as the lost, semi-autobiographical play Enûma Elish. She worked on her official memoirs, planned novels and worked on her epic Poem without a hero, 20 years in the writing.

In November 1965 Akhmatova suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized. She was moved to a sanatorium in Moscow in the spring of 1966 and died of heart failure on March 5, at the age of 76. Thousands attended the two memorial ceremonies, held in Moscow and in Leningrad. After being displayed in an open coffin, she was interred at Komarovo Cemetery in St. Petersburg.

This content is only available to members.