Political Correctness in Russia

[Robert Orr]

In the discussion  referred to in the header I was actually hoping somebody 
might comment on how this poem, by A. Tolstoj, is taught in
Russian literature classes, given the end of line 2, verse 3, and line one 
of the last verse, but things got caught up in other topics.


      *   *   *

Po greble nerovnoj i tryaskoj,
Vdol' mokryh rybach'ih setej,
Dorozhnaya edet kolyaska,
Sizhu ya zadumchivo v nej,-

Sizhu i smotryu ya dorogoj
Na seryj i pasmurnyj den',
Na ozera bereg otlogij,
Na dal'nij dymok dereven'.

Po greble, so vzglyadom ugryumym,
Prohodit oborvannyj zhid,
Iz ozera s penoj i shumom
Voda cherez greblyu bezhit.

Tam mal'chik igraet na dudke,
Zabravshis' v zelenyj trostnik;
V ispuge vzletevshie utki
Nad ozerom podnyali krik.

Bliz mel'nitsy staroj i shatkoj
Sidyat na trave muzhiki;
Telega s razbitoj loshadkoj
Lenivo podvozit meshki...

Mne kazhetsya vse tak znakomo,
Hot' ne byl ya zdes' nikogda:
I krysha dalekogo doma,
I mal'chik, i les, i voda,

I mel'nitsy govor unylyj,
I vethoe v pole gumno...
Vse eto kogda-to uzh bylo,
No mnoyu zabyto davno.

Tak tochno stupala loshadka,
Takie zh taschila meshki,
Takie zh u mel'nitsy shatkoj
Sideli v trave muzhiki,

I tak zhe shel zhid borodatyj,
I tak zhe shumela voda...
Vse eto uzh bylo kogda-to,
No tol'ko ne pomnyu kogda!

1840-e gody

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