Дорогая Mimi (@podokonnik),
It was incredibly fun to get to know you through the messages I sent to you anonymously. As a person who in love with the Russian language and culture, I created this simple webpage filled with Russian classical and contemporary love poems.
С Днем святого Валентина and good luck in your studies in Russian and in school.
- Люблю Izzy
"I Loved You" by Alexander Pushkin
Я вас любил: любовь ещё, быть может,
В душе моей угасла не совсем;
Но пусть она вас больше не тревожит;
Я не хочу печалить вас ничем.
I loved you: yet the love, maybe,
Has not extinguished in my heart;
But hence may not it trouble thee;
I do not want to make you sad.
A poem about lost love and the speaker's attempts to move on from that love. The speaker acknowledges that his love for the addressee has not entirely died within his heart, but he no longer wishes to cause them any sorrow. The poem is
bittersweet, with a sense of resignation and acceptance that the relationship has ended, but with a lingering sadness and longing. The poem is considered one of Pushkin's most famous and poignant works.
"Love" by Marina Tsvetaeva
Любовь! как мучительно мне с тобой!
Я не могу и жить и умереть.
Мой бедный дух обречен на терпенье,
А сердце молчит и не хочет верить.
Love! How painful it is to be with you!
I cannot live and I cannot die.
My poor spirit is doomed to suffer,
While my heart remains silent and refuses to believe.
A poem that explores the speaker's conflicted emotions towards love. The speaker describes love as a painful experience that makes it difficult for her to live or die. Her spirit is resigned to suffering, while her heart remains silent
and refuses to believe in the possibility of love. The poem reflects the complex and sometimes torturous nature of love, and the idea that it can bring both joy and pain. Tsvetaeva is known for her emotionally intense and lyrical poetry,
and "Love" is a prime example of her style.
"In the Shade of the Willow" by Sergey Esenin
На лугу каштаны расцвели,
И шелестят листы в тени,
И я с тобой под этой тени Забыл про все свои дела.
The chestnuts have bloomed in the meadow,
And the leaves rustle in the shade,
And with you, under this shade,
I have forgotten all my cares.
A poem that describes a peaceful moment in nature shared between the speaker and their lover. The poem is set in a meadow where the chestnuts have bloomed and the leaves rustle in the shade. The speaker is with their lover under a willow
tree and has forgotten all their cares. The poem conveys a sense of calm and serenity and highlights the beauty of being in nature with someone you love. It is considered one of Esenin's most famous and romantic works.
"Night" by Anna Akhmatova
Ночь, улица, фонарь, аптека,
Бессмысленный и тусклый свет.
Живи ещё хоть четверть века –
Всё будет так. Исхода нет.
Night, street, lamp, drugstore,
A meaningless and dull light.
Live another quarter century -
Everything will be the same. There is no way out.
A poem that reflects on the pain of separation and the hopelessness that comes with it. The speaker describes a night in which she cannot sleep and feels the weight of sadness and loss. She thinks of her lover and imagines that they are
together, but then realizes that it is only a dream. The poem captures the feeling of being alone and the yearning for a lost love. It is a poignant reflection on the fragility of human connections and the despair that can come when they
are broken. "Night" is considered one of Akhmatova's most haunting and powerful works.
"My Love" by Bulat Okudzhava
Любовь моя — с изнанки красива,
Платье ее тяжело и длинно.
С ней ходят вместе беда и голод,
Но я б не хотел оставить ее одну.
My love is beautiful on the inside,
Her dress is heavy and long.
Misery and hunger go along with her,
But I wouldn't want to leave her alone.
A poem that describes the speaker's deep affection for their lover. The poem is a celebration of love and describes the speaker's feelings with vivid imagery and tender language. The speaker describes their lover's eyes, hair, and voice,
and imagines spending their life together. The poem is romantic and idealistic, with a sense of hope and joy that comes from being in love. It is considered one of Okudzhava's most popular and beloved works, and it reflects his reputation
as a romantic poet.